Time to Waste
by misunderstoodninjaluvr
Summary: An amnesiac with hardly a record to her name,she was more trouble than she shouldve ben.A boy whose only focus is doing things right, assigned a mission that should have been as easy as 123.Will they change each other for the better, or worse?
1. Chapter 1

**my new story everyone! this is all within the same world as my other "Naruto" stories! (Ruin and Sumara will be in these stories! ps-i might end up continuing Ruin's story, i might, but i'm not sure. well, technically this is a slight continuation of the story...so ya.) plz read ^_^**

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These people were pretty dumb if they thought I was going to stay for long.

They had me cornered. My back was pressed against the cool metal surface of my prison as they approached. Of course, they were more or less making my plan work much better than I had planned. I just needed them to take one more step forward, just the tiniest of steps and I could-

"Enough!" hissed an icy voice that came from behind the wall of bodies. They stiffened, as if waiting to be chided for disobeying their leader. But I could see it in their eyes that they knew one more step and I would be gone.

The owner of the icy voice stepped close enough so I could see a flash of red hair. Really? This guy should have thought about dying his hair if he ever wanted to hide well. I bet an enemy ninja could see that hair from a mile away. I almost laughed out loud. Almost. I wasn't nearly comfortable enough to let a laugh slip from my chapped lips.

"Back off," the voice hissed again. The men took a reluctant step back. "Very good, now leave us!" the voice commanded.

"But, my Lord," one of the men tried to protest.

The voice cut him off. "I said _leave us!_" This guy was pissed off.

Yay, now I had to deal with a pissed off 3 year old.

I squeezed my eyes tight as I tried to focus. Just a few more seconds…

"Open your eyes," the voice commanded.

I snorted a laugh. Where did this guy get off? Tell me what to do like he owned me?

I opened one my eyes just to be a smartass. "Looks like my eye is broken. Too bad." I had to resist the urge to stick my tongue out at him.

The guy just stood there, arms crossed over his chest, blue eyes filled with a never ending void of nothingness. I almost flinched away from that gaze, almost. I steeled myself from my emotion and tried to mimic his coldness.

"Stop crossing your arms," I hissed to him in a pretty good impression of his voice.

This got me a scowl and in return I scowled back. Then an arch of his forehead where is eyebrows should be. I uncrossed my arms, covered up my eyebrows, and arched them so that I could look a bit like him.

"This is just like trying to persuade a dog to be a cat," he mumbled and sighed.

Of course, being my usual smartass self, I mimicked him, but made my analogy better than his. "This is just like trying to persuade a red head with blue eyes and no eyebrows to go the hell away."

This was not met by a scowl, but by a woosh of sand rapping around my torso. I tried to keep my stony face in place, I wanted to adopt that uncomfortable calm that seemed to possess this guy. But it didn't work out that way. I gasped as the sand tightened around me.

"Go on, make a smartass comment, I dare you." His voice was chilling, terrifying. I had never heard such blatant fury nor had I seen it.

I wanted to say, "What are you going to do? Sand castle me to death?" but I knew this guy meant business. I just stood there, letting the sand writhe around me like a snake strangling its prey. It was easy to tell who the prey was in this situation, and who the snake was.

"What do you want?" I snapped at him.

"Just try and be a bit more obedient," he hissed in response.

_Like a dog? Okay, what's your first command? Fetch? _I wanted to scream this out. But I remained silent.

"Wow, looks like someone was in the sandbox for a bit to long," joked a voice over the slam of the heavy door.

The owner of the voice came into view. This guy wore and all black outfit with peculiar purple face paint. His hair stuck up like the red head but instead of bright red it was a soft brown.

"What are you doing here, Kankuro?" the red head asked the brown head. His voice was softer when he asked, perhaps kinder?

"Heard you had a little trouble dealing with a patient," Kankuro said, nodding towards me.

"It's no big deal, she was just about to listen when you came in."

"Sure, Gaara. I can tell by how the sand is making her a comfy coat that you were just being so reasonable."

The red head, now known as Gaara, just glared forward. He grunted. "Whatever." The sand dropped from me.

The two stood there, one with his arms crossed, the other in a relaxed posture.

"Start talking," Gaara commanded.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, we just stood there in silence for a few moments. I waited for him to say something about me not saying anything. We continued to wait.

"Well?" Kankuro prompted.

"Well what? I don't know who the hell I am or where the hell I am or what the hell I'm doing here! All I know is that you weirdos have me locked up in a metal box treating me like I am a lethal weapon!"

Kankuro glanced at Gaara and back at me. I slumped against the wall. The floor was dirt and that was the only furnishing my tiny cell had. I had one tiny window up about 4 feet above my height. It was my only light source.

"How did you get here?" Gaara asked.

Was this guy for real? I couldn't remember anything. The only I knew for sure was that I woke up one day and was in here, no questions asked. I knew how to kill people though I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. If Gaara hadn't barged in, all those guards would have been killed when I was finished with them. I knew I was powerful and I was absolutely sure that was a good thing.

I sighed. "Didn't you just hear what I said? I can't remember anything! For all I know, I've been in this cell my entire life! I don't know anything."

Gaara leaned over to Kankuro and whispered something in his ear. Kankuro nodded and left.

"Well, we'll just have to see how bad your memory really is." And the way he said that, the cold chill and menace in his voice, I knew that he could kill me right then. It didn't matter that he was only, maybe, 16, I could tell he had power. More importantly, he knew how to use it.

"Oh, bite me!" I snarled at his retreating form.

He stopped, hand pressed against the door. "Watch what you say to me, girl," was all he said and he was gone.

I sat in my cell and snarled sarcastic comments to anyone who dared come inside. I yelled into the vents so the whole building could hear me. I dented and scratched the metal walls. I screamed. So, it was pretty much a typical day.

When the moon finally decided to show itself a figure slammed my cell door open and closed. I stood in my corner of the cell. I felt like I was enclosed in a metal box.

"Welcome to Hell in a Box, how may I help you?"

The figure just stood there. "I'm sorry ma'm or sir, if you aren't going to request any sort of assistance, then I must ask you to leave the premises."

"Shut up."

"Really, you think I'm going to shut up when you are in MY PRISON CELL? This is MY place! Get out before I-" but the figure's hand clapped over my mouth.

"_I'm_ going to be the one doing the hurting if you don't shut the _hell_ up!" the person whisper-screamed.

I mumbled something against the person's cold hand. Then I licked the person's palm.

"HEY!"

Now, I could tell the figure was a guy. His voice was of average deepness, or whatever you would call that. He clapped his other hand to my mouth.

"What is your _problem?_" he hissed in my ear.

_I'd like to ask the same question if you didn't have your hand super glued to my mouth!_

"It's me!"

_And I was supposed to remember you?_

"Don't tell me you forgot me!"

I shrugged.

"I'm Denieru, Deni for short. You should know that!"

I shrugged again.

The boy leapt back, finally letting me speak.

"Can I help you with something? I sure as hell have no idea who you are."

The boy stood in the light that leaked in from my window. He had dark hair, the color of ink, that was jagged. A piece hung in his eyes. His eyes were a startling kaleidoscope of greens and blues. He wore simple clothing, just some cargo shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. Both were black.

His eyes looked at me, pleading. "Ria, come on. You have to remember."

Ria? Was that my name? I tried to find it in my jumbled mind but nothing poked out. I had no recollection of ever being called Ria.

"Is…is that my name?"

"Oh jeez, Rex wasn't joking when he said he was going to get you! Shit! Shit! Shit!"

The boy clomped around the room. His feet made small dust clouds poof from the ground.

I regained my composure. "You can leave now."

He gawked at me. "Yeah, right! I'm not going to leave you when you don't even remember who you are! I'm staying here. That Kazekage needs someone who knows you. And trust me, I_ really_ know you."

What was that supposed to mean? Then I thought about it. My face heated with an unwanted blush. "Whatever, just go away. Help the Kazekage whatever the hell that is and go do whatever the hell you want! Just leave!" I screeched, squeezing my eyes shut.

When I opened them, he was gone.

I awoke a few hours later to the now familiar sound of my cell door opening. "The prisoner has been asked to see the Kazekage. Follow me," said a deep rumbling voice. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and followed.

The man opened a door after we walked down a hallway for a bit. Inside was a flight of stairs that seemed to take us underground.

_They don't want to take their chances with you._

It brought a smile to my face when I realized how scared they were of me. Good, stay that way.

When we came to another set of stairs and popped out into another corridor, I knew I was in some sort of official building. There were guards stationed ever few doors. When we came to the end of the corridor, we were met with a plain door with a single brass knocker. The guard knocked.

"Come in," called a familiar voice.

I bristled when I saw who's room I was in. Gaara. So he was a Kazekage? Did that mean something?

I took a step forward. "What's a kazek-whatever?"

The guard went to silence me but Gaara waved him off. "I am the leader of the Village Hidden in the Sand. My name is Gaara and I am the Kazekage. It's your turn now."

"My name is Jo-Jo. I make my living selling my self for sex. It's my life and my passion and don't you dare judge me!" It was awesome that I could keep such a straight face.

"Your sarcasm is unwelcome in my chambers," he said with a cold menace. Fear skittered down my back. I saw the sand around him floating, waiting to attack me.

"Fine, I think my name is Ria. I am the a prisoner in the Village Hidden in the Sand. That's it, okay? That's all I know."

_Except, I also know that I could kill this guard in a second, _I thought but kept that to myself.

Gaara tilted his head in some sort of signal and the door to my right opened. From it came the boy that visited me last night.

"I didn't think you would actually talk to him. You got some serious balls taking on this guy," I said to the boy. His name was…Denieru? Wait, Deni for short, right? Yep, that guy was Deni.

A small smile played on Deni's face before he strode over to Gaara's desk. "This is her, I'd know those sarcastic remarks anywhere," he told Gaara. He looked up at me. He looked sad, as if he had lost someone extremely precious to him. Me?

"So, you two were in a relationship prior to her vanishing." Gaara said it like a statement. Deni answered anyway.

"Yes, sir"

I had to grin at that. Who actually said 'sir' anymore?

"Does she recognize you? At all?" Gaara asked Deni. This made Deni's easygoing appearance falter.

"Well, when I visited her last night she had no idea who I was. So I guess the answer is no, sir."

Gaara nodded. He was obviously thinking that something was up.

I shifted from one foot to the other, feeling extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to just leave. So, I tried.

"Well, obviously, you guys don't really need me here anymore. I mean, I can't remember a damn thing. So, I'll just be going then…" and I tried to step around the guard but he wouldn't let me through.

"You really might want to rethink that buddy," I said with a threat in my eyes. He wouldn't move.

I sighed. "Very well." I took a step back and took a deep breath. I held my first two fingers in front of me. With my other hand, I pressed my other hand's first two fingers to my lips. "Lightning Style: Shadow Kissed Jutsu," I whispered.

Out from the hand in front of me, a liquid like substance sprouted, ensnaring the guard. Then, with the two figures against my lips, I kissed them and felt the crackle of electricity run through my body. I pointed those two fingers at the guard and clapped by hands together. The lightning and shadows mixed, and the man soon began to writhe in pain. Just as the lightning had struck him, the man was gone. His body was all that was left.

I pulled my hands back, laced my fingers together in front of my heart and pushed. The darkness sucked the man into oblivion. I walked out of the room and didn't look back.


	3. Chapter 3

I knew there were only moments before the sand drones and that dumbass Deni came after me. So, I kicked up some sand and bolted. I wanted to be left alone. Having all of this stuff forced upon me was not going to help get my memory back, if ever does come back. But it wasn't the time to focus on that sort of thing because I could hear my trackers gaining on me.

I was disoriented. That they would know for sure. I had no clue where I was going. I rounded another corner then found myself face to face with the Kaze-whatsamajig. Sand floated all around him. He looked pretty pissed off.

"What did you do to my guard?" he demanded.

I smiled. "Sent him to a place where he will be for quite some time."

"Where did you send him?"

The truth was, I didn't know for sure. I could have sent him to another dimension for all I knew. I just understood that the jutsu I had used made those I wanted to disappear, just disappear. That's why I used it. So, I shrugged in response. Gaara looked as if he was about to strike me when a flash of regret marred his face. He was staring at something over my shoulder. I glanced back.

"Gaara, what are you doing?" asked the person behind me. It was a girl, roughly my age of 16 or 17, or at least I thought I was that old, and she had short choppy black hair and deep blue eyes. She wore a tight black shirt and capris with fishnets underneath. I looked back over at Gaara and noticed that the sand had dropped to the floor.

"I…I…" he looked so ashamed. He couldn't even speak. "Sumara…I…"

She took a few steps forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Shh, Gaara. It's alright. I know how it happens. You don't have to explain." Gaara wrapped his arms around her and instantly he seemed calmed.

Footsteps announced an approaching force. I turned to prepare myself for some sort of battle but it turned out to only be Kankuro and Deni.

"I see you've met my brother's girlfriend," Kankuro said.

"Brother?" I asked, incredulous.

"You can't see the resemblance?" Kankuro asked, mocking my tone.

I glared at him then turned back to Gaara and his girlfriend. What was her name again? Sumara?

"Hi, sorry if he scared you. He's sorry, aren't you?" Sumara said. Gaara nodded and mumbled a soft yes.

"Well, if you haven't heard, I'm Sumara. I hail from the Village Hidden in the Dreams. What's your name?"

"Ria, I think," I respond.

She looked perplexed. "How do you not know your own name?"

"Funny thing, actually. I can't remember a damn thing! I wake up one day and I find Mr. Eye Make-Up over here asking me all these questions about who I am and where I come from! Then we got Lover Boy here," I say, pointing at Deni, "who obviously had some sort of previous attachment to me before I lost my memory. So what did we do, hm?" I ask him, getting right in his face. "Did we have sex? Did you cheat on me? We were the best of childhood friends that gradually fell in love? Tell me, Denieru. Or are you just some creepy stalker who I never even liked. From what I can tell now, I wouldn't give a damn if you were shot dead at this exact moment."

The four around me had gone completely still. I was really angry. I didn't know with whom or what, but I was just angry. I wanted my life to be out of this place and away from these people who didn't know me any better than I knew myself.

Then Sumara said, "She has a point, you know." She turned and looked at Gaara. "You do look like you're wearing make-up." Then she looks over at Deni. "And you, who the hell are you? You shouldn't even be here. You could ruin the chance for her to regain her memories. The best thing for her to do is to be taken far away from here." She turned back to Gaara, who still looked a bit confused about what she and I said about the eye make-up. She smiled at him and laughed. "I'm just joking. I think it looks sexy," she told him. His cheeks went red and he had to turn away. "But I wasn't joking about that other guy. You need to leave." Deni looked resigned as he began to walk away. "Oh no, not without an escort." Kankuro sighed and started to follow Deni.

"Where am I supposed to go?" I finally ask.

Gaara had finally regained his composure and was able to say, "You're going to the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

**Naruto**

It was a hectic life to lead, Naruto knew that for sure. He was still only sixteen years old, yet he was a father of the most beautiful girl in the world. Well, the second most beautiful. To Naruto, there was no more precious a person than his amazing girlfriend, Ruin.

"Hey, Naruto! Can you come out for a second?" he heard a voice call from outside. Naruto looked down at his daughter, contentedly sleeping in his arms. He set her in her crib, left a note for Ruin, and leaped from the window.

Naruto landed right in front of Rock Lee. There is no better way to describe Lee than to just say he's persistent, to say the least. He wore a green jumpsuit, a flak vest, orange legwarmers, and a bowl haircut. His eyebrows, thick and block shaped, had caused him to be deemed Bushy Brow by many a friend.

"What's up?"

"Did you hear about the girl Gaara's bringing here?" Lee was barely containing his glee.

"Uh, no. What's up with that?"

"No one but Lady Tsunade knows for sure," he said with a huge smile?

"Why are you so happy about this?"

Lee's face fell as he swelled with disappointment. "Naruto, you should know by now that each person is precious to the structure of any village, even a visitor!"

_Sometimes he is too much for even me to handle,_ Naruto thought. "I really need to get back home before Luxe wakes up," he said and waved to his friend as he left.

Lee walked away without a chip on his shoulder. He knew that Naruto's attention was divided with his baby and his training and being in love and all that. It seemed to him that all his friends were getting someone for themselves, but not him. Lee just took that as an excuse to train more. Guy sensei would approve.

"Hello, Lee." He spun around and nearly chopping his hand through his guest's neck, but something odd stopped him. Sand.

"Lord Kazekage!" Lee yelled with a bow.

"That is not necessary, Lee. Just call me Gaara."

"Alright."

"So I assume you heard about the girl we brought with us?"

"Yeah, but I didn't hear much."

"She's lost all her memory," Gaara said with a shake of his head, as if this fact made him frustrated. He hated not being able to help someone under his leadership.

"Do you know how?"

Gaara shook his head. "She didn't even remember her own name. I'm hoping your village will know how to deal with her."

"How's that?"

His red hair shifting in the breeze, Gaara looked as if he was ablaze with his frustration with his own self. "I don't know, but the Hidden Leaf is her last hope."


	4. Chapter 4

Ria

"Let go of me, you bastards!" I screeched. Several men held me down as cloaked person loomed over me with a needle. "What are you doing!" I fought them. I screamed. I cried. I begged. There was no escaping these men, and that figure. The needle came closer and everything went black.

I woke with a jolt, sweat plastering my bangs to my face. A dream, it had only been a dream.

"Nightmare?" I heard a cold voice ask. I jumped to my feet, ready to fight, but it was only Gaara.

"Wow, was that concern I heard?" _No._

"Follow me," he ordered, then walked through an open door. I glanced around. It appeared to me that I was in a cell, but one that actually had some sort of tie to the outside world. I rushed for the door, eager to see the sun.

When I made it outside, I was met by a large group of people. A woman stood at front. I could tell from her posture and the way everyone stood behind her that she was of importance. Well, at least to them.

"So this is your amnesiac," the woman said.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. Her name is Ria," Gaara answered.

The woman stepped toward me. I flinched away from her. I could just play the beaten animal card and they'd let me go. "I see what you were talking about, Gaara. There is something strange about her."

I felt my face heat with both rage and embarrassment. "Excuse me? There is nothing strange about me!" I yelled. Lady Tsunade just stood there for a moment and stared. Then she began to walk away, Gaara walking beside her.

"What an insolent little brat," I heard her mumble.

"I wouldn't say that if I were you," Gaara warned.

"Why is that?" she asked. The next moment I was in front of her, prepared to do my Shadow Kissed jutsu when a figure stepped in front of me. He wore orange and black pants and jacket, his hair was spiky blond. And in his arms he held a child.

"Hey, Gaara!" he cried. Gaara stopped immediately and a small smile formed on his lips.

"Hello, Naruto." Gaara stepped closer to Naruto. Maybe they were friends, but that didn't make sense to me. How could someone like Gaara make any friends? An image flashed through my mind. A giant fox destroying thousands of lives. A baby crying, with an odd seal on it's belly. Then I was back with the red head and blond boys.

_What just happened?_

"Is this…is this your daughter?" Gaara asked, his voice somehow gentle. Sumara stepped up behind him. I hadn't know she had come with him, but I guess they traveled together all the time.

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, this is Luxe." The three stared down at the little life sleeping in his arms. Lady Tsunade seemed completely oblivious of this. She just kept on walking. She called, "I'll meet with you later, Gaara," and continued on her way.

"Can I…can I…um…" Gaara began to fidget, obviously uncomfortable. Sumara put a hand on his shoulder. A hidden communication went between them. "Can I hold her?" Gaara finally asked, his voice small.

Naruto looked surprised to be asked this. He smiled and said, "Of course, Gaara." He handed the child off to Gaara and he looked almost happy to be holding the child. He cradled her gently against his chest, brushed his fingers over her soft forehead. Gaara seemed to be lost in a totally different world. Sumara watched him carefully. This must have been something new for her.

She walked towards me, leaving Gaara in his world and Naruto watching him with a sad smile on his face.

"He's never held a child before," Sumara told me. I stared at her, surprised both by that piece of information and the fact that she had just told me. "You've realized that he isn't like most other people, right?" I nodded. "He's gone through so much in his life. He was a Jinchurriki, you know."

"What's that?"

She stared at me for a moment. "You really don't know much. Well, maybe you just never heard of a Jinchurriki before now, maybe not. Anyways, a Jinchurriki is a person that carries a demon inside of them. Most people don't hear the word _was_ when talking about a Jinchurriki. It happened nearly two years ago now, when he was kidnapped. They extracted the demon he carried and he died. With the help of a very skilled elder ninja and Naruto's chakra, he was brought back. He once told me how when he was dead, he thought he heard Naruto calling his name."

"Naruto is a Jinchurriki as well," I said.

She looked surprised. "How do you know that?"

I paused for a moment. "I don't really know," I finally said.

"Well, those men over there bonded over their joint pain. Naruto saved Gaara from himself, and in turn I was able to continue the process. Naruto just has this ability to rescue all those around him, it's his spirit or maybe just that he is himself, no matter what. He doesn't fake it." Sumara continued to watch as Gaara's finger was grabbed my the baby's small hand. He smiled for real this time then looked over at Sumara with the expression of a child that just discovered the wonders of a butterfly. She looked so happy and sad at the same time.

"What is it, Sumara? You look sad." _You can't start caring about these people. You're their lab rat, remember? _But I couldn't ignore the fact that she had shown me such a kindness as including me.

"I'm just sad for him, Ria. So late in his life, Gaara is finally beginning to experience things he should have known since the date of his birth. Joy. Love. Acceptance. I wish it could have come sooner."

"Maybe he had this life for a reason, so he could really appreciate what he got in his existence. So he would feel every emotion to the fullest. I can see by the way he looks at you, Sumara, that he loves you and that you are the key to his happiness."

She smiled then at me. "Thank you, Ria. That is the best way I've ever heard his life described. I think you're right and I really hope it's true."

"Naruto Uzumaki!" a girl screeched.

"Uh-oh," he said. Gaara must have realized what was about to happen because he handed Luxe back to Naruto and walked quickly over to Sumara. He put his arm around her waist and she held on to him. What were they preparing for?

A girl wearing a simple white tunic with a thin cord around her waist and black leggings came storming out from the bustle of a nearby street. He hair was completely straight and white with the lightest tints of red.

"Ruina, what a surprise!" Naruto said, looking uneasy.

"What were you thinking taking the baby outside without telling me?" she demanded.

Naruto's head fell. "I'm sorry, Ruin. I heard that Gaara was here and I wanted him to meet Luxe." The girl's face relaxed.

"It-it-it's al-al-alright, N-n-Naruto. I was j-j-just worried." Naruto put an arm around her while his other arm cradled the child.

"Shhh, Ruin. It's okay," Naruto whispered gently in her ear.

I felt so out of place among these people. I hardly knew them yet I had seen all this personal stuff just put out there for me. I felt like I was looking in on an intimate moment and I couldn't handle it. I could feel nothing more than a crushing loneliness, something so new and raw to me that I fell to my knees, gasping. I was ignored. I pushed myself to my legs and began to run away while the darkness tried to grab me. I barely slipped through its grasp as I ran. I didn't know where I was going, but I wanted out of there.


	5. Chapter 5

**EMERGENCY BULLETIN! LET IT BE KNOWN TO ALL THAT THERE IS AN UNSTABLE GIRL LOOSE. THIS GIRL MUST BE APREHENDED!**

Neji

Lee caught up with him quickly. There was no way that Lee would lose against his "rival." Lee could see the frustration clearly in his friend. There must be something amiss.

A few moments earlier, Neji had just received a new mission.

"You are under new assignment," Lady Tsunade announced.

Neji took this with a straight face. "Yes, my Lady."

"You will be in charge of handling the secure capture of the amnesiac from the Sand. Her strength is unknown, so be on your guard."

"Understood."

"You're dismissed."

Neji bowed then leapt from the window.

As Lee and Neji sprinted through the village, Neji used his Byakugan to scan every place. Lee jumped from rooftop to rooftop in search of the girl. She had to be found. If not, then Neji would fail, and he just couldn't accept that.

Ria

I had passed out from running for so long. My body was definitely not in tip-top shape, that was for sure. My dreams were nothing but blackness and sweet silence. It was nice.

Then a figure appeared, with a large syringe in one hand and a knife in the other. I struggled against restraints wrapped around my wrists and ankles. Those hadn't been there a moment ago. The figure came closer as I fought harder, but my body was tired. My vision began to swim. The needle met my skin. I began to scream.

Neji

The sound pierced the air just as Neji had begun to think about turning back. A scream, it was quite clear. Lee was a few yards away when he stopped as well.

"Neji, do you hear that?" Lee called.

He nodded and turned his eyes towards the sound of the screaming. "Byakugan!" he called. His sight flew through the area as he searched for the girl. Through the trees and into the thick forest, he finally found her. "Follow me."

"Right!" The two began to run towards the trees when the screaming suddenly stopped. "Neji," Lee said.

"I know," was all he said in reply. They kept running.

Neji scanned the area with hope that the girl would still be there. They continued to run. By the time they reached the area, the girl was gone.

Neji had known she wasn't there the entire time.

He had only hoped that his Byakugan was weak due to chakra use.

But he had been wrong.

The girl was gone.

He had failed.

"Neji, we should go back and look somewhere else," Lee suggested.

Neji shook his head. "I'm going to wait here."

Lee watched his 'rival' for a moment before disappearing into the trees. Neji was alone.

He would not accept this failure. The screaming girl had just been there. It was his responsibility to find out where she went and whether or not she would come back. He decided to meditate until she returned. Several hours passed before anything happened. That was when she came.

Her hair was bright orange and it floated around her as if propelled by an air source all her own. Every vein in her body could be seen as if they had been tattooed to her flesh. She wore a short, shapeless brown dress that moved in her breeze. Her eyes flew open and locked onto him. _Those eyes._ Neji stood, about to draw a kunai. It flew out of his hand.

_How? _He paid closer attention to her movements and drew a kunai once more. Her right index finger barely twitched and it was thrown from his grasp. _Such raw power. Who is she?_ He couldn't ask her because she began to walk through the forest, bending the trees away from her to clear a path.

Neji raced after the girl, needing to get close enough so he could do Eight Trigrams Empty Palm, a maneuver which enabled him to hit her from a distance with his chakra. She turned towards him just as he was about to be close enough. There was pleading in her eyes as she looked at him, as if she were begging him to leave her be. Then the girl continued to move forward. Neji tried to rush her but this time the girl did not give him warning. She moved her right index finger and he went flying back, knocking him into a tree. The world around Neji went black.

The girl kept on walking, but this time her eyes were not empty. Tears flowed down her face. All that she was doing was not of her own will.

That night, darkness consumed the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Fires scorched the night as the world became one with Hell. It would be remembered as an attack far worse than that of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Kyuubi had no comment.

Ria

_It's so cold. My body…I can't feel my body. Where am I? Lost in nothing? _

I woke up then and found myself chained to the floor by my wrists and ankles. I looked at my hands. They were raw. My feet looked the same. How had that happened?

I was completely unable to move. There was no way I was going anywhere. _From one prison to another_. The sad thing was, this prison had no windows. The only light came from above, through slats in floorboards. I heard footsteps. The floor creaked under the new weight. Then, a door appeared from the wall across from me. The woman from yesterday and Gaara walked in.

"What do you want?" I snarled.

"I should be asking you the same question," the woman, Lady Tsunade, said.

"I don't understand what you mean," I said.

Gaara crossed over to me and glanced back at Lady Tsunade. "Give us a minute please." Lady Tsunade conceded. The door shut.

"You killed hundreds of people last night. You burned down half the village. Do you not remember?" Gaara asked.

An unknown rage boiled within me. "What's it to you if I remember or not? What would happen if I did remember?"

"You'd be sentenced to death, of course. There's no other way to deal with someone like you." His crystal blue eyes seemed alive with the flame of his threat.

I needed to remember that this guy meant business. "I don't remember," I said truthfully. "It's like I got drunk or something and all the memory is gone. Just like the rest of my life…" I trailed off.

"I see…" He stood and moved for the door.

"What's going to happen to me?" I asked, on the verge of hysteria.

"Your fate is in the hand's of the Hokage. She will decide."

_I'm screwed. _

He left, and I was alone.

Neji

When Neji awoke, he was being carried by two white clad men. All his senses were clouded by smoke and the screams.

_So much screaming. Make it stop! Please, make their pain stop!_

His head lolled to one side and he caught sight of fire. It seemed endless and impassible. _Am I in Hell?_ he wondered. What had he done to be in Hell? Suddenly, the gurney supporting him fell out from underneath him. An explosion erupted only a few feet away. He willed his body to move to safety. He was able to stand and began running, which gave him just enough time to be out of the blast range of the next explosion. He fell on something soft and warm. Neji strained his body, forcing it into a sitting position. He had landed on the arm of a prone woman, her other arm wrapped around a child. He turned away from them and vomited. He wasn't sure if he had become sick because of what he had seen or because of smoke inhalation. Either way, Neji knew he wasn't in any condition to make it out of there alone.

He ran for the nearest building he could find. It didn't matter if it was still standing or if it was crumbling to pieces as long as it offered him some sort of asylum from the mayhem of his falling village.

"Mister! This way, mister!" he heard a small voice squeak. Neji turned to find himself staring at a group of survivors. "There's a tunnel that leads us straight under the village. We'll be safe until it's over." Neji nodded, grateful for the help, and followed the refugees.

They wandered for a bit, not sure where to go. They finally settled on a single position. An old woman in the group had said that it would be best to remain in one spot so other survivors might be able to bump into them. It was quiet for a few moments. It was almost peaceful. Then another explosion and the world around them shook. A piece of pipe fell from the rusty water system above their heads. Neji was struck. The world when black.

When he awoke he was in a hospital. The nurse tried to make him remain calm. He had been seriously burned, they said. He needed to rest.

"You cannot leave me locked up in this damned infirmary!" Neji exclaimed. The nurse stared at him with annoyance.

"I'm sorry, sir. But your injuries are too much for your body to handle. You are going to be here for quite some time." The nurse adjusted his IV and left.

_What am I supposed to do locked up here? _Neji had never really been one to sit and do nothing. The day was meant for training and working, not for sitting around and _healing_. He was disgusted with himself for even getting injured, let alone trapped in the infirmary. There had to be something her could do that would make his day useful.

He watched people go by through the window in the door to his room. He didn't really recognize anyone. It was just a way to pass time. A flash of orange, a bit of the face, and Neji was on his feet, stumbling for the door. _It's her, it's the girl! He burst into the hallway and broke into a fast hobble. He had to catch her. _


	6. Chapter 6

**I apologize to anyone who reads this story for the long wait! I've been extremely busy lately (sigh) well i cranked out almost this entire chapter in under an hour! Impressed? (laughs) so am i! . enjoy!**

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Ria

"And how does that make you feel?"

_I swear, the next time this chick asks that question, I'm going to kill her!_

I was sitting in a circle with a bunch of other kids around my age, whatever that was. Sitting at what could be said as the 'head' of the circle was Mancala. She was my group psychiatrist.

It turns out that Lady Tsunade did believe me. She sentenced me to seven months in the psych ward of the local clinic. It wasn't like I was mad or anything, I mean I knew I wasn't crazy. I just wanted to be away from this crazy Mancala lady. Her only real way to answer us was by asking a question. She said that this was supposed to promote reflection. It only promoted annoyance in me.

Mancala turned to the guy sitting next to me. His long hair was totally slicked back and he wore a long black dress-type thing. _Gender crisis?_ I thought.

"Louise, how does dressing like that make you feel?" Mancala asked. _I knew it. Total gender crisis._

"I'm our of here," I grunted. I pushed myself off my over-stuffed pillow and started to leave the room.

"Now, now, Ria. You're going to hurt some feelings if you leave," Psycho lady said.

I turned, gave her the finger, and kept walking. _Let's see how she likes that. _

I must have stumbled into the actual clinic part of the clinic because I began to see people strolling around with papery gowns, their underwear hanging out the back. _Where's the dignity in that? At least the old people aren't wearing diapers…_ I thought with a shiver. I was bored. What to do…what to do? I couldn't remember any of my interests. Am I going to have to recreate myself so I could actually have fun? I really hoped not. What kind of life would that be? Ever day having to wake up and asking myself, "What's my favorite color? Do I even like orange juice? Why am I eating oatmeal? Did I ever like oatmeal?"

"Stop! Stop right there!"

I turned to see a tall, long haired guy running towards me. _Uh, yeah right. _I did a little hop before bolting for the door.

_I can't leave. _I stopped. I just remembered at that moment that some of the more powerful ninja of this village put a seal on the hospital that would prevent me from leaving. What was I supposed to do to get away from this weird guy? I had no choice but to stop.

"What do you want?"

The boy wore a long white robe with large sleeves and a thick black sash tied around the waist. "I want to talk to you."

I crossed my arms, already on my guard. I waited but he seemed at a loss for words. Where did this guy come from anyway? I didn't have any recollection of ever seeing him before.

"If you're just going to stand there like a moron, I'm going to leave."

The boy didn't stop me as I strolled down the hall and back to the psych ward.

Neji

_The girl didn't recognize me. It just…didn't make any sense. Why didn't she recognize me?_ He tormented himself for a few moments as she walked away. She turned down the hall and vanished from his line of vision. Neji took a deep breath and tried using his Byakugan. A severe pain sliced through his body. He fell to his knees, clutching his head between his hands. He let out no noise of pain. To him, acknowledging the pain meant it was weakness. There could be no exception for weakness.

But of course, he knew that pain itself was not the weakness. Naruto…and Lee…they had taught him that pain was nothing but a way to push yourself. It taught a person limits. No one had to be limited by pain, not if they could push past it. But a person also had to remember the consequences of ignoring the body's natural reaction to too much stress. So Neji sat there, in silent struggle, and let his body calm down. He knew it would be unwise to push his body, no matter how silent he made his pain.

When he regained some composure, he stood and tried to find his way back to his room. The keyword there is tried. Neji had no idea where he was supposed to go, nor did he have any idea where he was. As he wondered, he ran right into someone.

"Excuse me, please. I've very sorry." The voice was soft and barely there, practically a whisper. Shining purple hair was the next clue. Hinata Hyuga sat on the floor before Neji, her face as red as Gaara's hair.

"Hinata, what are you doing here?" Neji asked. He was still slightly uncomfortable around her, though he had gotten over some of his feelings of resentment towards the main families of the Hyuga clan. Their fight during the Chunin exams still haunted him at times. His hostility and cruelty was what he had to do, nevertheless that did not mean that he did not think about past actions. Especially if his opponent in a fight was one of his allies. He felt slightly guilty over what he had done to Hinata.

"Oh, um, I was just here for a check-up," Hinata explained, pushing herself on the ground and to her feet.

"A check-up?"

"Yes, I've been having some heart problems lately. It's nothing to worry about though," she assured him with a weak smile.

"Of course. Excuse me," was all he said before he brushed back her. Neji rushed down the hall, not caring whether he turned left or right, all that mattered was that he could get away. Far…far away.

_Don't think, Neji. Don't think…_ But he couldn't avoid it. That pestering guilt in the back of his mind. It was so annoying for him to have these feelings. Why couldn't he just stop?

Someone called for him.

He turned.

There stood Lady Tsunade. "I have something for you to do, Neji."

Ria

I slammed the sliding door to my room. At least, I wanted it to slam. One can't really do much with a paper thin piece of wood with paper covering it. I sighed. My body shook with anxiety. How I wished, at that moment, for a memory of my past, of a happy memory. One that might have been able to calm my shaking heart. It was a silly thought, one that would only come from the mind of a frivolous child. No matter how obnoxious I may be, I had to remain stern. My immaturity was just another way of showing my self-control, if that made any sense.

I rummaged through the pile of clothes that were on the floor. None of them were my own. For all I knew they could have been! I couldn't get a grip on anything at that moment. All that kept on playing my mind was the look on that boy's face. His eyes had been white, like he had no pupils at all. As if he was blind. He had seemed almost afraid of me, but there was something else about the way he was looking at me. It was if he knew me from somewhere, though, as if we had met once before. That did not make any sense, though, because I had no recollection of it.

I slammed my fists against the wall. Of course I didn't have any recollection. I HAD NO MEMORIES! I was so frustrated. So alone. My anger seemed to be overflowing in the room around me, as if it would drown me. I just didn't understand anything. I didn't understand anything at all. Not at that time.

There was a knock at my door.

"What do you want?" I snarled.

"Pardon my intrusion, miss. I'm just here to put up the sliding wall," a stout woman explained as she ventured into my room. She pulled a small handle out from the side wall of my room. A folding wall of sorts came out and cut off half of my room.

"What's the big idea?" I demanded.

"A young man will be staying in the other half of the room, young miss. It would be inappropriate to keep this space open." The woman bowed to me and left.

Who could possibly be coming?

Neji

"You understand, right?" the Hokage asked at the door to his new room.

"Yes, ma'm. I understand."

"Do not get involved with the girl. Simply observe her."

"Yes, ma'm. Of course," Neji responded, bowing to his superior.

She made a slight noise of approval and left.

Neji turned to see what his new room was like. It was simple, styled the same way as his previous room. A small pillow rested on the ground on a mat where he was to sleep. A small dresser rested against the wall across form his room. There was something disturbing around the room. There were no windows.

_I wonder if there's anyone on the other side of this screen…_he thought. Neji reached his hand out, about to tap the screen, when a voice pieced through the thing material.

"I'm not going back to that damn circle and there's nothing you can do to make me! That woman is a curse to herself and everyone around her! Where did she get her degree? Out of a garbage can? I will not go through with this!"

"You do know what will happen if you do not comply with this," a cold voice answered. Lady Tsunade. The first person caught his/her breath. "That's right. You will suffer as my village suffered. Choose wisely, Ria."

Upon hearing the voice, Neji had pulled back the screen. The girl stood with her head bent to her door, her fists clenched at her sides. He gasped. She turned.

"You!" she snarled. "You're the weird boy from the infirmary! What do you want?"

Neji was taken aback my her rudeness, the same rudeness as when they had spoken before.

He lifted his head to her. "I have this room," he said, motioning to the space behind him.

"So you're the one who took half of my room! Close the screen! You freakish boy with your white eyes! Get away from me! I don't want to see you! Don't talk to me! Don't look at me! Leave me alone!"

The girl was having a bit of a meltdown. Neji slammed the screen behind him and he marched towards the girl. He reached forward and slapped her across the face.

"Learn some respect, Ria! That's your name, isn't it? You have no right to order me to do anything because…" he stopped for a moment and almost backed down. But he didn't. "You're the one who killed hundreds! You're the one responsible! That's why you're here! That's why you do not deserve to LIVE!" Neji slapped the girl once more, crossed over to his side of the room and slammed the screen once more. He slumped against it with his eyes prickling.

_I'm so weak. I can hardly contain the grief that I can feel within me. All this grief, for those who I never knew. For those I will never know. Because of her!_

The image of her from a few nights ago flashed in his mind. _No,_ he thought. _No, I know that she was the one to do the killing, but that she did not do it of her own accord. The way she had looked at me. I know she didn't do it because she wanted to. _There was something else Neji knew for sure as well. That girl had no memory of what she had done. How he knew, he wasn't sure. But she had not recognized him. She had not even given the mention of the slaughter the slightest recognition. She had remained blank yet filled with rage, silently storming on like clouds as they march through the skies. She was very much like the clouds, Neji realized. She, like the clouds, seems to have no control over where she goes, her destination is not of her own accord, yet still she must march onwards. Always moving on to do something, perhaps fill a river or drown thousands. That can never be known until the future comes.


	7. Chapter 7

Ria

"_I never thought it would be you." _

_I look up, my mind a blur. "What do you mean?" I ask._

_He turns to me with a look a pure peace on his face. He says, "I never thought it would be you I would fall in love with." Then he leans down and presses his lips to mine. My mind swarms with fluttering butterflies. I know what we're going to do. I want to. _

"_Denieru…" I murmur._

The image fizzled out. My mind flung me into a different place, further ahead than the place before.

"_You're the one who killed hundreds! You're the one responsible! That's why you're here! That's why you do not deserve to LIVE!…"_

_The boy's face before mine is so close. I can see the pain so plainly written on his face. He's a ninja, isn't he? Doesn't he know emotions get in the way of what he is supposed to be? He's supposed to be unshakable. Looks like the Earth quaked one too many time for him to handle._

My mind flashed. I was back in time.

_I wake up to see Deni lying next to me, holding me close. How am I supposed to leave? I love him. Now how am I supposed to leave?_

Knock…knock…knock…

I must have spaced out. That boy had shut the divider only a few minutes ago, yet my mind had traveled back months and seconds within all that time. Had I regained a memory?

I pushed myself to my feet, brushed myself off, and left my room. I needed to find some sort of mirror. Why did I have such an urge to see my reflection?

_All these people are just a bunch of stupid dogs chasing their tails. This village and its inhabitants, all of them, they chase their tails. Yet the moment they manage to catch their tails, they cry out in pain, stop for a moment and forget all about the pain. Then they forget about it all. They chase their tails once more. They continue on in their struggle. _

I laughed out loud at the thought. Such an eloquent thought for one who couldn't even remember simple addition. The door beside me caught my eye. I pushed open the door. It swung on its hinges with a creak, as if from disuse. The room was built with a wall entirely of mirrors. On the opposite side of the room there was a horizontal pole hooked to the wall. The room seemed pretty abandoned.

I stepped in front of the mirror to see myself. My hair was long and orange. It hung to about my waist. I wore a pair of black shapeless pants and a black shapeless shirt. My eyes were a mixture of gold and brown. This was me. _This is me_. My appearance represented me.

I pulled back my fist and smashed it into the glass.

The mirror splintered underneath my punch. It splintered off in several directions. My fist was the epicenter. I was the earthquake. I pulled back my other hand and punched it into the mirror. Another indent. More splinters. Another earthquake. Blood dripped from my fists. I stayed completely still.

"You disgust me," I whispered. "You're selfish and cruel! How could you do that to Deni? How could you put him through all that? How dare you!" I was yelling at myself, but not at who I was at that moment. I was yelling at my past, at who I had been. That me was gone. I never wanted _it_ back.

My eyes didn't brim over with tears. My body didn't quiver with rage. I was so still. I didn't move a single inch as I had yelled at myself, scorned myself, scolded myself. New memories flashed through my mind. Denieru, holding my hand as we walked down a crowded street. Denieru pulling me close as we laughed over some long lost joke.

"Stop it! Go away! Go away!" I pulled back my fist again and struck the mirror once more. "No more! I don't want to know anymore!"

"_I love you, Ria. I will always love you."_

"But I won't ever love you again!"

"_I never thought it would be you I would fall in love with."_

"Stop saying that! You can't love someone who is dead!"

"_Ria, promise that we'll always stay with one another. Promise that no matter how much we lose, we will always have each other."_

"Leave me alone! Just leave me alone!" I pounded on the mirror. Kicked it with my bare feet. Slammed my head into it. I threw the entirety of my body into smashing that wall of mirrors. I wanted it gone. I wanted _me_ gone.

When I stopped my attack, I was still once more. The only noise was that of my blood hitting the floor. So much glass mixed in with so much blood. It was beautiful, in a sick way. If someone else had been there they would have agreed with me. There was beauty in the wickedness of it all.

I pulled back from the shattered wall. I dragged my feet through the room, its floor scattered with bloody glass. All the pieces of glass that snagged in the skin of my feet gave me no feeling. I was completely numb to it all.

I walked back to my room and shut the door behind me. When I was there, I sat on the ground and stared at the wall., completely still once more.

Neji

He wasn't sure about how he was supposed to handle everything. He had completely lost his cool earlier with Ria. It had been wrong of him to yell like that, Neji knew this for a fact. It had never been his place to play God. Though he was a Jonin, that meant nothing to someone who was completely foreign. To someone who had no idea what the world was like. Neji couldn't help but feel slightly relieved that he had gotten all the rage he had towards Ria out of the way. Now he could focus without any other thoughts of that girl clogging his mind. No, that wasn't true. Neji still wondered why Ria didn't remember anything. He still wondered what had caused her to kill so many. Again, though, it wasn't his place to know. He was simply there to keep watch over Ria. To make sure she remained stable.

"Good lord!" he heard a nurse exclaim. He turned the corner as he headed to his room. He had just received some new clothes. A pair of plain black pants and a black shirt. He was still allowed to wear his headband, but he had to wrap it around his forearm to prevent lunatics from taking it. The psych ward was very particular about what the patients were allowed to be near, especially when it came to things they could strangle themselves with. Like…say a headband?

Neji stopped suddenly. A trail of blood ran the entire length of the hallway. He looked to his right and his left. The blood ran up and down either way, but did not come from his path. He turned to his right, towards his room, and followed the blood. When Neji reached the end of the trail, he saw several nurses crowded around a door. To be specific, the door to Ria's half of the room.

"Miss, you need to open the door," one of the nurses said. The others tried similar strategies to coax Ria to open the door. It didn't really work out.

"What's the matter?" Neji asked one of the nurses.

"Neither the other nurses nor I know for sure, sir."

He nodded. "I'll let you in to see her through my room."

She nodded and turned to her fellow nurses to let them know. He went into his room and pulled on the divider. It slid open with little effort on his part. It made him wonder what the people thought they were preventing by putting up the slider. Any human of average strength could pull it back. He sighed. The silliness of the world still astounded him.

The nurses bustled into Ria's room through the opening. Neji peaked through to see what was going on. He couldn't help but gasp at the sight. Ria sat, completely and utterly motionless, staring at the wall with her back to him. Blood had pooled all around her. What had she done that had caused such intense injuries?

"Get a doctor now!" one of the nurses ordered. A few other nurses hurried out of the room. Others grabbed anything they could to staunch the bleeding. A new face came rushing into the room.

"Hey, what happened to the dance room?" he asked. Naruto stood, out of breath, in the now open doorway of Ria's room.

"Uzamaki," Neji said in surprise.

"Neji? What are you doing here?" he asked, obviously puzzled.

The main nurse snapped her fingers. "That must be where she did this."

"Did wha-" Naruto began then gasped. "Damn it! How could a mirror do this much damage to her? It looked like it had just shattered on its own."

"No…"

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

"No…" Neji said once more. "It hadn't shattered on its own. Ria…this girl…she destroyed the glass."

"Oh…" Naruto was silent for a moment. _So much like Ruin, yet so different. Ruin was in absolute control of what she was doing. She cut herself to bring herself peace. _Naruto shook his head. He hated thinking about his girlfriend's self-harm, but he had no choice. It was a part of who she was. But that wasn't the point. _From what I saw in the dance room, this girl Ria had lost all her control. There was no real reason behind her actions. Only rage._

"I don't understand how someone could just lose it like this," Neji thought out loud.

Naruto smiled softly at that comment. He finally understood something Neji didn't. "I can't help you there, my friend. You'll figure out on your own, just like I did."

Neji looked at him. "What does that mean?"

"Oh! You haven't heard yet, have you? I have a girlfriend and a daughter!"

"WHAT? This is a completely inappropriate place to be discussing your personal life!"

Naruto's wide smile instantly disappeared. He was somber once more. "Of course, excuse me. Would you mind coming with me, Neji?" Neji nodded and the two left together.

They wandered around the village for the next hour or so. It was a sobering image. Smoke still billowed from the smoldering ruins of their home. There were still many people who had not yet been found. It was disturbing to see flowers strewn across piles of rubble, as if someone was laying flowers on a grave. Pictures of loved ones were left next to some of the wreckage as well. Naruto didn't seem very fazed by it all. Neither was Neji. They both tried to act as if nothing were amiss.

Naruto gushed about his new life with his girlfriend and daughter. "She has made me so much better than I have ever been before in my life! She's been what I've needed all my life. My daughter, Luxe, is just a plus to everything. She completes the circle of happiness that is my family. Ruin and Luxe are everything to me."

Neji looked at his friend. "You sure have matured in all the time I've been gone, Naruto. How long has it been, anyway? A year?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you're been on a mission that long, huh?"

"Yes, I have." Neji paused for a moment. "What did you learn from all this, Naruto? How did her cutting affect you?"

Naruto looked pained for a moment. "It hurt me a lot to see her do something so destructive, but I can't help but understand it, you know? I mean, she was completely and utterly alone for so much of her life. Everyone she had ever known had told her she was worthless. She wanted some way to have control over her life, to make a choice. To calm herself, she cut. To bring some semblance of control into her life, she cut. She taught me that nothing is pointless. Everything has worth, even her self-harm. It had saved her for so long. It had kept her alive long enough to meet me. It may sound vain, but I know that without me, she would probably be…she would still be dead." His eyes were distant the entire time Naruto had spoken these words to Neji.

"What do you mean 'still be dead?'"

Naruto grinned uncomfortably. "She had been cursed and died a few months ago. I traveled into the spirit world and brought her back. She helped me through it all." Naruto continued to look distant.

_He knows all this because of one person. It's incredible. _"Do you think…" Neji began, pulling Naruto out of his thoughts. "Do you think I'll ever find someone who needs me so completely?"

Naruto laughed. "It doesn't work like that, Neji. I completely need her and she completely needs me. There has to be balance. Without balance, the entire world would come crashing down."

The rest of the day and the entirety of that night, that last statement of Naruto's hung in his mind. Even as he and his friend parted ways, even as he wandered back to the hospital, it still continued in his mind on a constant repeat.

"_Without balance, the entire world would come crashing down." _How was it that at that exact moment, he knew why Ria had done what she had done. He knew why Ria had broken the mirrors. He knew why. She had no balance. She was crashing down on herself.


	8. Chapter 8

**I can't help but wish i could make this into some sort of manga. i'm sitting here, writing this story, and i see it all so clearly in my head and i'm like "damn, i wish everyone else could see it the way i do." like the way the rooms look and the funny little quirks of each one. if anyone out there would like to illustrate this, you would be my hero! it just seems like it would be really cool...well ENJOY THE STORY! PLZ REVIEW! it really helps give me ideas and the will to keep writing my stories**

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Ria

I woke up to the sound of beeping. My vision was blurred from sleep. I rolled my head from one side then to the other.

"What the hell?" I screamed. I tried to get up from my bed but restraints held me down. I tried to fight them, but the harsh material bit into my bandaged skin. I couldn't remember anything that had happened, at least not at that moment. I was more concerned about my situation.

"She's awake!" I heard someone call.

_You bet I'm awake! And I'm pretty pissed off!_

The door to my room slid open and shut. Soft footsteps announced a new being's approach. My heart beat fast in my ears.

"What did you do?" the voice was cold, hostile. _Gaara_.

I turned my head. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked you a question."

"So did I," I snapped back.

His eyes grew wide in shock. "You've got some gall, Ria." I rolled my eyes. "Your disrespect will earn you nothing. You are the responsibility of the Village Hidden in the Sand and that makes you _my_ personal responsibility. Why do you insist on being so childish?"

I laughed. "Because it's fun."

"You've caused nothing but trouble for me and the people of the Hidden Life. Give me a reason why I shouldn't hand you over to their executioner now." I could tell he was serious. Sumara wasn't here to calm him and I had no idea how to deal with someone like him. His face was directly in front of mine. I tried not to flinch.

He pulled back, shame creasing his face. "That threat is viable. Do not act up again." Gaara went for the door, paused, then looked over his shoulder at me. "Next time you need to vent, don't take it out on the dance room." A scowl spread across his face and he left. I was alone.

I had…I remembered then. I had smashed up a room with mirrors, many, many mirrors. I had been so frustrated and -_Denieru._ No! I squeezed my eyes shut, tried to force out the image of his smiling face. His ink black hair that always blocked him from the world. I would brush it out of his eyes and he would laugh and call me his mom and I would laugh. I was so happy…NO! That girl was dead. I needed to remember that. Besides, wasn't the reason I had destroyed all that glass because I wanted to kill my past?

Perhaps I was better off without my memories. Or at least, at the time, I thought so.

Neji

"Lord Kazekage!" Neji exclaimed in shock at the sight of the young leader. Gaara glanced over to see who had called him.

"Neji," he said in recognition of the Jonin.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing here?" Neji asked.

Gaara rubbed his tattoo in frustration. "The Sand has gotten their hands on a very important girl, but she's a lot more trouble than she's worth."

"Is it that Ria girl?"

Gaara glanced up quickly at Neji, eyes wide with surprise. "How did you know?"

"Lady Tsunade requested that I keep an eye on her while she remains within the village."

Gaara nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea. She's a very insolent and unpredictable girl."

"She's forgotten all of her memories, hasn't she?"

Again, Gaara looked at the Jonin with surprise. "Yes, she has. How could you know that? I assume Lady Tsunade had left that out of the details."

Neji nodded. "I figured it out on my own. Her attack on the dance room confirmed my assumption about her present condition."

"She doesn't seem to have remembered anything. Stay on your guard, and if she remembers anything, please contact me."

"Yes, sir," Neji answered. Gaara extended his hand, catching him off his guard.

"It's a handshake. Sumara told me this is what you do with someone you respect," Gaara explained, slightly embarrassed.

"Of course," Neji responded. The two shook hands and Gaara departed.

_The changes in him are astounding,_ Neji thought as he watched the red-head leave. _Sumara is a huge part of that. I hope she never stops helping him._ Neji shook his head. He was being far too sentimental for the current time. He needed to focus in. He needed to get back to watching Ria.

Ria

I sat there, a pencil in one hand and a piece of paper before me. I wanted to draw something. I needed to draw something.

_Denieru…_

I squeezed my fist around the pencil. It snapped. I picked up another one next to me. I had already gone through about three other pencils now.

Why did I want to draw _him_? This boy from my past, this boy who I could never know again. I glanced out the window of my tiny room. My view was restricted to that of a tree branch. A sigh escaped my lips. I was still stuck in my hospital bed, but the nurses had removed the restraints. I immediately requested a piece of paper and several pencils. The nurse I had asked looked quite reluctant, probably fearing for her well-being. I was an unstable girl, why would she want to give me several sharp objects? The nurse stared at me for a few moments before leaving. I couldn't help but smile with satisfaction at intimidating the poor woman.

I was a very childish person. I had no idea what I had been like in my past. Had I been a kinder person? Had I been one to joke and smile easily? How different from the former Ria was I? I wanted to know. I needed to know.

_Denieru._

I knew what I needed to do. The one person who could unlock my past was him. I didn't want to see him yet at the same time I was desperate for it. I was fighting constantly within myself. _SNAP!_ Another pencil sent to the afterlife, or wherever broken pencils are supposed to go. An idea hit me then, and I knew what I was meant to do with this pencil and paper. My pencil flashed across the page. It seemed like only seconds had passed before I had finished.

"Nurse!" I yelled. "Nurse!"

The tired woman came rushing to my door. "Yes?"

"Would you mind sending this letter for me?"

Neji

It had been only a week since Neji had arrived at the hospital, and already he was growing stir crazy. Ria had spent the last five days of the seven day week within the confines of a hospital room. He had not been able to get close enough to her room to see her condition. This fact bothered him to the extreme. The new week had just started and Ria was still in her room, out of his reach.

Neji sat in one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, the ones that look like they'd be comfortable but are actually the worst things you'd ever sit on. He wore the psych ward patient 'uniform,' black pants with a black long sleeve shirt. It made him uncomfortable. He couldn't help but notice the stares of those who passed. They probably thought he was some escaped schizophrenic that was ready to kill them all. But it was none of his concern at that moment. What truly was of his concern was the curious visitor who had just entered the room.

"I'm here to see Ria," the visitor said.

The receptionist looked at him with a bored expression and held up her index finger. She stood and went into the room behind her desk. The guy looked around him nonchalantly. When he caught site of Neji, he tilted his head to the side as if perplexed.

"You have a relative in this hospital?" Neji asked him suddenly.

The guy shrugged. "No, my girl-I mean ex-girlfriend is a patient here. She sent me a letter a day ago asking me to come and see her."

"What happened to you two, if you don't mind my asking?"

He shook his head. "Something bad happened. It's one of the reasons why she's here. She changed a lot and I couldn't catch up."

Neji tried not to scoff and this person's emotions. "My name is Denieru, by the way."

"Neji."

Denieru smiled. "Nice to meet you, Neji." At that moment, the nurse came shuffling back in.

"This way," she grumbled. Denieru waved at Neji before following the grumpy woman.

_So Ria had a boyfriend. He could be very helpful._ In the next instant, he made a decision. He caught the door to the rooms before it shut and followed the woman and Denieru to find out the truth.

Ria

I tried to prepare myself as best I could to see Deni. It wasn't as if I was nervous or anything…well maybe I was. I just didn't know how to deal with this. I had to stay strong. The only reason I sent that letter to him was so he would come here and I could learn about my past.

The door to my room slid open. I forced myself not to look at it. I stared out the window instead.

"Ria," he breathed. I couldn't help it. I turned my head and saw Denieru, his knapsack all packed for traveling still slung over his shoulder. His floppy black hair was in his just as it always was. I tried to think of something to say, but any sensible thought left my mind. "What did you do, Ria? Why are you here?" He looked truly concerned, not for me, but for _her_.

"What's happened here is none of your concern. I sent that letter so I could get some answers," I said. Brash, sure, and to the point.

He blinked, as if surprised. He turned to the nurse but she had already gone to smoke a cigarette outside. Denieru returned his eyes to me.

"Don't tell me you're surprised, Deni. I'm not her." It was harsh, but true.

"What do you mean?"

I sighed as if his naïveté tired me. "The Ria that you knew is no more. She's not coming back and you need to accept it."

Denieru's face set into a hard mask. "I'm sorry, but that is just something that I can't accept. Memories come back all the time for amnesiacs. You'll get there."

"You're such a child, placing all you hopes into a far-flung possibility. I didn't invite you here so we could discuss whether or not my memories would return. I want to know about my past."

Deni pulled up a chair and sat next to me. "Why?"

"Perhaps within my past there is the answer to how I lost all my memories."

He sighed. "Well, I only met you about a year ago. You were very happy to be with our group. It was just Rex, Lissa, you, and me. We were a team that pulled all sorts of heists and fought all sorts of fights. We were hired assassins. We would kill anyone if they gave us enough money." He paused as he remembered. "It was funny. You never seemed bothered by what you had to do. One time, when I asked you about it you said, 'I think of the people as this money. Because of their deaths, we can live. Doesn't that seem right to you?' and then you smiled.

"It wasn't as if we had it easy. We always had to live in the worst part of town in the cheapest rooms we could manage. That was the only way we could keep all the money saved up. Rex and Lissa were growing tired of the life, as was I. We were going to use the money to buy our freedom, but you couldn't let it go. One night, a month or so before you disappeared, our group had it out with each other.

"'We're done with this life!' Rex yelled, pulling Lissa close to him. It hadn't occurred to neither you nor I until that moment that they were together in more ways that just partners in crime. After you realized this, you picked up a chair and threw it through the nearest window.

'"We're a team!' you yelled. 'How could you two keep your relationship a secret from your teammates? You're traitors, all of you! Even you, Deni! You never actually wanted to live this life but you did it anyway. You betrayed yourself! And that is something completely _UNFORGIVABLE!' _You slapped me across the face, spat at Rex and Lissa's feet and jumped out the window.

"We were all really surprised. That was the first time you had _ever_ gotten angry or upset in any way. You always were smiling and making jokes. The moment after a job was done, you were all smiles again.

"That night, our team broke up. We all went our separate ways. Rex and Lissa took the money to buy themselves out of the gig, and I left them to it. I followed you. We…we got involved romantically when I finally found you a few days later. You never apologized for what you had said to me and I never asked you to. We were happy at the time. It only lasted a week or so, though. Soon, we were being hunted down for abandoning our employers. You and I both knew the consequences of running from them - we were going to die.

"The last night we spent together was when I told you -" he stopped then restarted. "The last night we spent together was a month ago. The next morning every trace of you had been was erased. A month passed. Then I heard the Sand had gotten their hands on an ex-assassin and I knew it had to be you. But then…well you know the story from there."

I looked down at my hands, unable to look at him. My face burned with shame. I wanted to remember all of this so badly yet at the same time I couldn't stand the idea of gaining my memories back. I was better off without them.

"Thank you for telling me," I whispered. He placed his hand on mine. I didn't react.

"I'll be waiting, Ria," he breathed in my ear. He pulled back his hand and left.

The moment he was gone, the tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I hated all the pain I had caused him. All of this was my fault. No…no it wasn't my fault. It was _her_ fault. The old Ria. She was the one who gave him all this hope then just took it away. I could never forgive _her. _I could never forgive _myself_.

Neji

Denieru came trudging out of the room with a frown plastered to his face. Neji remained in the shadows, out of the sight of the poor boy. When he had vanished, Neji emerged from his hiding place. He had been able to hear the whole story. He knew that Ria had been an assassin, a cold-hearted one at that. It was difficult to decipher for most, but he knew that Ria's smiles and jokes had all been just a ploy to keep people off her back. He was almost one hundred percent sure that she had always been the way she is now. Memories can't change a person as much as people believe.

He walked closer to Ria's door and slid it open slightly. She was crying, her hands covering her face. She pulled them back and stared at them, as if shocked by the fact that she was expressing such strong emotion. Her head snapped towards him, her eyes zeroing in on his position.

"What are you doing here?"


	9. Chapter 9

Neji

She had caught him off guard. He had lost his will to speak.

"I asked you a question. What are you doing here?" Ria demanded. Her face was red, her eyes puffy and irritated from the tears she shed.

"I…I was just passing by. I heard crying so I…" he didn't bother finishing his excuse. He didn't even believe it. Neji wasn't exactly the type of person to stop and see if someone was okay. He didn't particularly care either way.

"You're a terrible liar," she sighed.

Neji withdrew his innocent façade and went back to acting like himself. He narrowed his eyes at Ria. "Why are you crying?"

"Why do you give a damn?"

He shrugged. "I don't really. I'm just curious."

She nodded slowly. "You're blunt. I respect that. If you must know, I was just faced with my past and I didn't handle it very well."

Neji's lips portrayed a wry smile. "How ironic for a girl without a past."

Ria glared at him. "I have no memory of the past. That doesn't mean I don't have one."

He shook his head. "Yes, in a way, it does. You have no recollection of it so it shouldn't affect you. Forget about the fact that you once did certain things. This is a chance for you to restart your life with a fresh outlook."

"You don't really seem like the advice-giving type, blind one."

"What was that?" Neji asked, his voice cold.

"You're eyes, I'm talking about your eyes. It makes you look like you're blind."

He rolled his eyes. "I can see quite fine, thank you."

She rolled her eyes back. "I bet you can."

He glared at her. She glared back. Neji was beginning to get annoyed.

"I'm leaving," he announced. He began to shut the door when he thought he heard her say something. "What was that?"

"I said," she began in a small voice. "You remind me of someone I killed."

Ria

The boy's white eyes widened. I could see his grip on the sliding door tighten. I feared he may snap it in half.

"What do you mean?" he asked through gritted teeth.

I sighed, trying to act as casual as possible. "Take a chill pill, why don't you? It's not like I just said that I killed you dad or something."

His eyes flashed. _Oh crap, I struck a nerve_. "Don't you dare talk about my father." _Whoa, does this guy have a Daddy complex or something?_

"Why not? It's not like he'd be mad if we discussed him a bit. But I don't know him so I guess we can't talk about him." I paused and tapped my chin with my index finger, as if contemplating my next comment. "Now, oh sightless one, what I meant was your personality is quite similar to a person I killed."

"How do you remember this?"

I sighed. "When we were talking, a memory came back to me." The boy's eyes widened. "It's no big deal. Anyway, the kid's name was Hatsuki . He was about seventeen at the time I killed him. It was an assignment. We were told to wipe out this mob family and a bunch of its followers because they were getting too powerful. So we did as we were told.

"The others were in different rooms, or maybe they were outside already finished up, I don't know. It doesn't matter. I was doing a final sweep of the house, making sure we had gotten everyone. That was when I heard a creak a floor above me. I took the stairs two at a time, my feet not making a single sound. I came into the room where the sound had originated. The boy stood there. He had a defiant face and his fists were clenched at his sides. He stared me down.

'"Well, are you going to run and hide like you family tried to do?' I asked. But he ignored my question.

'"My name is Hatsuki,' he said. 'Why did you kill my family?'

'"Is that really any of your concern.' He stared at me, waiting for a better answer. 'Fine, I was given an order to kill plus the pay on this job is pretty good. That's why I killed your family.'

"'Do you always do as you are ordered?'

"I pulled out my shurikens and prepared to throw them. 'Why do you care?'

"Hatsuki shrugged. 'I don't really. I'm just curious.' He paused for a moment before saying, 'You don't need to worry about using those knives. I'll be dead within a few minutes.'

"I straightened myself, relaxing my stance. 'Why is that?'

"He smiled. 'This whole building is set to blow.'

'"So I guess either way you're going to die. But here's your chance to live. Why don't you run and hide?'

"Hatsuki shrugged. 'I have nothing to hide from.'

'"You're a fool!'

'"Yes, I guess I am.'

"I stepped back from him, shocked. 'What are you trying to prove, kid?'

"He laughed at me. 'I'm going to show all of those weaklings that I was truly the strongest one of all. I was the last one standing and I will be the last to fall!'

A terrible rumbling shook the house. I didn't think about anything but my safety. I jumped out the nearest window, landed, and was able to get behind a trashcan to protect myself from the blast. Then there's a flash of orange light, and that's when my memory ends."

He stared at me. "What's your name, blind one?" I asked.

His lips set into a line. "Neji Hyuga."

"Well Neji Hyuga, I hope this has been educational for you," I said with false cheer sprinkling my voice.

"Why did you tell me all that? What was the point?"

I smiled wickedly at him. "You're the one whose supposed to figure it out, not me. That memory came back just for you, and I know it. Figure it out, blind one." He slammed the door and I could hear his quick footsteps as he rushed down the hall, away from me.

I felt exhausted from keeping up that front for so long. What would happen if I told him I had just made up that entire story? I laughed. I had just wanted to see his reaction if I compared him to someone who had died. There was something else, as well, another reason I had told him that. I could read it in the way he talked to me and how he carried himself. He seemed like he was out to prove he was the best ninja to ever walk the earth. I couldn't help but be curious about the reason behind that.

Neji

It didn't make any sense. What had Ria meant by telling him that memory? How were he and that boy similar in any way? Neji shook his head angrily. They weren't similar, that was the thing. That boy had been a fool to die without even trying to protect himself. But…still…Neji couldn't help but slightly understand the reasoning behind Hatsuki's actions. The boy had wanted to die with honor.

Neji made his way to the clinic, where he had been ordered to go and get a check-up. The clinic and the area where the rooms were kept were totally different places. He made his way through all the hallways and correct doorways until he finally came upon his destination. It was a quick check-up. The doctor only really wanted to check on his burns from the Night of Fire, as the villagers were beginning to call it. Neji didn't mention the fact that he had been unable to use his Byakugan without causing him pain. This doctor was clueless about the workings of the Kekkei Genkai of the Hyuga family. Neji wanted to keep it that way.

As the doctor checked all the burns, he continued to spout nonsense about his family. Why this man thought Neji would care was beyond the Jonin. He just sat quietly and let the hum of the man's annoying voice drown out the rest of the world.

Two days passed, and Ria was finally released from the hospital. It was the middle of the night when she finally came back to her room. The opening and closing of her sliding door woke him up. Neji had never been a deep sleeper. He sat his back against the wall of his room and watching the sliding wall that separated them. Ria switched on a light in her room. Everything in her room was outlined in shadow through the paper of the sliding wall. He watched as she put things back into their proper place. He noticed that whenever she got slightly annoyed, she would gather her hair up into her hands as if she were going to tie it back into a ponytail. Then she would release it and sigh.

What was it about this girl that kept Neji so fascinated? His only purpose was to watch over her, true, but he couldn't help but learn things about her. He watched as she picked up what appeared to be scissors, held them up to her hair, and began to cut. The long orange tresses that had hung to her waist were now cut to her shoulder. She turned her head back in forth, as if testing the feel of this new haircut. She opened the door to her room. Neji could hear the clatter of metal as the scissors hit the cold tile floor. She came back in and settled against the wall that, if the room had not been separated, would be directly facing Neji. He froze in surprise. Was she looking back at his shadow? He didn't know for sure. A moment later, Ria waved. Neji gasped. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. How could he not be amused by this psychotic girl's antics? She turned and switched off the light. The two were hurled into the blackness of night. Sleep was the only escape.


	10. Chapter 10

Ria

"No!" I yelled. The old janitor stood in front of me, his chin resting on the end of his mop from the exhaustion of our conversation. "I will not clean up this room!"

It turned out that the cleaning crew at the clinic had decided against picking up the dance room. Mancala, my psych group leader, had told them it would be an 'important experience in my development and help improve my self-acceptance.' I think she just wanted to punish me for walking out of my last group therapy session. Such a petty psychiatrist.

Burt the janitor stared at me for a few moments. "You're going to do it, and you're going to do it right. Clean up your own goddamn mess." He looked at me and _hmphed_ for emphasis. Then he strode out of the room, pushing his mop in front of him, always cleaning.

_This is a load of crap_, I thought. How was I supposed to clean that mess up? It was really stupid of _these people_ to make me clean it all up. I mean, this was their clinic, their responsibility. _Whatever_, I thought. _Enough bitching about it and just do it._

I began thinking about what it would be like if I could just rewind time for the glass. I could just make the mirrors rebuild themselves. It sounded like a nice idea. I reached down and began picking up glass. I kept on thinking about turning the clock back, putting everything in that room back together just as it should have been. That's when it happened. The next piece of glass I touched floated in the air.

"What the-?" I couldn't even finish the sentence. I flipped the hand with all the shards of glass in it. The glass looked like it was going to fall, but it didn't. It stopped in midair. What the hell was going on? "Just be calm, Ria. You're obviously doped up on some serious stuff right now. Just ignore it. It's all in your head." I tried to pick up another piece of glass. This one did the same as the others, popping up like a grasshopper and hanging in the air like a fly on a spider web.

I gathered my hair behind my head then dropped my hands. At a loss as to what I should do, I slammed my hands together. A liquid black substance spouted from my fingertips, just like when I would perform my Shadow-Kissed Jutsu. But this was different. The liquid covered the broken wall of mirrors.

_Snap your fingers_, a voice whispered. I wasn't the only person to think that once you start hearing voices you've got more pressing issues than a few broken mirrors. I needed to leave that place. But I felt compelled to listen to this whisper. So I did as instructed. I snapped my fingers. The crackle of electricity flowed throughout the room. There was a flash just like lightning. I squeezed my eyes shut against the light. When I opened them, I caught my breath.

The wall of mirrors was completely reassembled.

Neji

It had now been two weeks since Neji and Ria had begun their stay in the psych ward. And that meant it was time for Neji to report back to Lady Tsunade. This worried him. What was he supposed to tell her? That Ria was completely psychotic? That it didn't matter anymore, she was no threat? It had been such a short amount of time and Neji knew Lady Tsunade was bound to have already heard about the mirror incident. It didn't matter, though, Neji decided. He would just have to suck it up and report whatever possible.

Neji made his way across the village to the Hokage's office. The rebuilding efforts had not made much of a difference to the decimated village. Neji knew there were still people unaccounted for. His stomach twisted with the feeling of sickness when he thought of what he had seen on the Night of Fire. That woman, trying to save her child, but both had perished anyway. Neji could still see her face, eternally shaped in the final scream of her life, her last call for rescue. _No,_ he told himself. _I will not get sick again. You can handle this, Neji. You can handle it._.

He wished that the trek to Lady Tsunade's office could have lasted longer, but there he was, standing there. Waiting to make his report. He was just prolonging the inevitable. He sighed and knocked.

"Come in," the Hokage said briskly.

Neji did as instructed. Tsunade sat perched on the edge of her desk, her arms crossed over her heavy chest. "Well, what have you to report?"

Neji straightened his spine and held his head hide not out of pride but out of respect for her. "I assume you have heard about the incident with the dance room." Lady Hokage nodded. "After this occurrence, Ria remained in the hospital for several days. While she was there a boy by the name of Denieru visited her. He knew her before her memory loss."

Tsunade was obviously intrigued by this piece of information. "Is he still within the village limits?"

"I'm not sure, ma'm."

Tsunade looked annoyed. "Well then, use your Byakugan and find him." Neji stiffened ever more than he already was, which seemed a bit impossible. "What's the problem?"

He couldn't let her know. It wasn't of that much importance, was it? Eventually his injury would be fine. He would be able to use his Kekkei Genkai again. Neji refused to let any pessimistic thoughts into his mind. For the first time in his existence, he was being irrational. It made him feel bold. So, with this new feeling he steeled himself against any feelings of doubt and pretended to use his Byakugan, tensing the muscles in his face and opening his eyes as wide as possible. Lady Tsunade looked doubtful, but said nothing. Who was she to question a centuries old technique?

Neji had to think. From the short amount of time he had spoken and been near Denieru, had be glommed enough about his characteristics to know what he would do. Neji decided yes. He pretended to end the jutsu and looked back at the Hokage.

"He's still within the city limits."

Lady Tsunade nodded. "Very well. Tell him to come see me immediately. There is something he and I need to discuss." Neji heard the dismissal in her tone. He bowed and left. He didn't relax until he was several yards away from the building.

_That had been close. I can't let something like that happen again, _he thought. How was he supposed to get his injury checked out? No one of the Main Branch families would help him. Except…perhaps…no, he couldn't do that. He decided he would wait a few more days to see if his condition improved. If not, he would have no other choice.

Ria

I needed to run somewhere away from that room. I stood there in shock for a few moments as I stared at the pristine mirrors. Horror overtook me like a wave. What had I done? Where had that power come from? I couldn't handle it. I didn't know what else to do. So I smashed the glass again.

"Damn it! Damn it all!" I screamed. I couldn't stop the punches. My fists flew back and forth like pistons in an engine. Blood was everywhere. I knew for sure that my clothes were soaked with the blood from my hands. I knew that I had blood slathered all over my face. I didn't care. "Damn you! Damn you! Go away! Go away!" It was a few minutes before I finally stopped, my body quivering with the sobs that I tried to suppress. Tears streamed freely down my face as I slumped to the floor, my knees digging into the glass beneath me. The sound of a voice hit my ears. I didn't bother turning my head.

"Someone get in here! She did it again!" It was Burt the janitor. He was calling for back-up. _I need to leave. I need to go away. Run…run…RUN!_ I pushed myself to my feet. My arms dangled from my slumped body. They had no feeling left in there; it was if they had been sown onto my body and none of the nerves had been connected. I was breaking down all over again. Except, I didn't care anymore. I was done caring about anything. _Damn the world_, I thought. _Damn it all._ I walked blindly towards the doorway.

"Wait! Stop right there, girl! You-!"

I flung one of my rag doll arms his way and he flew back into the wall. A loud crashing sound filled the room. I glanced over for a millisecond, to see that his body had hit the wall so hard that it had molded into the concrete. I suppressed a sick laugh. I walked out of that room and didn't look back. I was done looking back.

Neji

"It's not like she can leave the hospital!" Neji exclaimed as he ran with Naruto and Gaara to the hospital. The two had been alerted to Ria's 'breakdown' and had been dispatched to get Neji. The three boys ran with each other, arms flying behind them in the usual ninja-style of running. Naruto leapt from rooftop to rooftop above while Neji and Gaara handled the ground. When they finally made it to the hospital, no one had argued with what Neji had said. It was true, there was no true need to worry. She couldn't possibly leave.

Naruto crashed through the front doors and screamed at the lady behind the front desk. "Hey, do you know where Ria's room is!" The woman stared at him in awe as he stood there in front of her. "Lady, where is Ria's room?" She pointed feebly with a shaking hand. "Thanks," Naruto said with a flash of white teeth and hurtled down the hall.

Neji and Gaara came less violently through the doors. They looked at the woman manning the front desk and knew Naruto had already passed by.

"This way," Neji said and pointed. They both hurried down the hall.

When the two made it to the room, Naruto was standing outside of it with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What are you doing?" Neji demanded.

"Don't go in there." This was not a warning, it was a command. Naruto's face was fierce as he stared at two boys equal in his age yet to superior to him in rank.

"Did you jus-"

Gaara put an arm out in front of Neji as if to stop him before he did anything brash. "Listen to him, Neji. Obviously, something is amiss."

Neji pulled himself together. "Why can't we go in there?"

Naruto glanced at the door so quickly Neji barely caught the look. "A medic should be the one to see her, not anyone else." As if on cue, Sakura came rushing around the corner. Naruto turned to her. They exchanged a brief glance before she went into the room. All was quiet.

Sakura

Sakura knew the girl's situation, though not every detail was clear to her. As she stood in front of the now closed door, she didn't dare move. It was like dealing with an injured animal. No sudden movements, or Ria would freak out.

Ria sat slumped in on herself in the farthest corner of the room. She looked as if she was trying to hide from the world. She was in fact trying to do that.. To Sakura, it seemed as if Ria had lost all sense of the world, her mind consumed with some sort of madness.

"Ria," she whispered. The girl flinched. Sakura could see blood pooled all around Ria. Dried blood caked the poor girl's face. "Ria, I'm here to help you." She took an unsteady step forward. Ria remained completely still.

Sakura decided at that moment that Ria was in no way going to leave that room. The look of blankness on her face was enough to solidify Sakura's decision. She crossed the room in two steps and knelt before Ria. She took the girl's limp hand and examined it, tilting it back in forth to check the damage. Glass seemed to be ingrained into her skin, as if it had been there Ria's entire life.

All was quiet.

About an hour passed before Sakura reemerged from Ria's room. Gaara had been meditating while Naruto paced and Neji stood completely still and alert by the door. When Sakura came out, she made no eye contact with any of them except Gaara.

"Can I speak privately with you?"

Gaara opened his eyes slowly and stood at the same speed. Sakura led the way down the hall and around the corner.

"She's retreated into her mind," Sakura said bluntly.

Gaara looked at her for a moment. "I understand."

Sakura nodded, her lips set into a grim line. "Please give me an update on her condition." Gaara nodded in assurance that he would. Sakura bowed then left.

Neji

It was only a few moments before Gaara returned, no Sakura beside him.

"Where's Sakura?" Naruto asked.

Gaara glanced at him. "She returned to where she is most needed. I need to go ge-"

"Anyone call me?" It was Sumara this time who appeared around the corner. A slight blush formed on Gaara's cheeks at the sight of her. She wore her ink black hair back in a low ponytail. A pair of black cargo pants replaced her usual look of capris and fishnets. She wore a black tank top, the rest of her arms covered in her usual netting.

"I was just about to go and get you," Gaara whispered.

She smiled at him. "Your subconscious sent out a message for me, don't worry."

"But how-"

"I don't really know how, but I'm beginning to regain some of my mind reading powers," she interrupted, but he didn't mind. "So," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "what am I here to do?"

"Ria has drawn herself into the deepest recesses of her mind," Gaara explained.

Neji stiffened. Instantly, he mentally scolded himself for his reaction. Why should he care what happens with her? As long as he kept was able to monitor her, he should feel nothing more. Naruto didn't seem to care about keeping up a professional relationship.

He slammed his fist against the wall. "That's horrible, it really is. How could she do that to herself?"

Sumara stared at him for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was laced with comfort. "Don't worry about it, Naruto. I'll find out." She reached out and squeezed Gaara's hand then ruffled Naruto's hair before entering Ria's room. She did not do anything to recognize the fact that Neji was there. Deep within, in a part of Neji that he wished did not exist, he felt hurt. That didn't matter though. All that mattered was making Ria better.

_All that matters is Ria. _


	11. Chapter 11

Sumara

It startled her how much blood there was all over the floor. Sumara hadn't known what to prepare for, but that had not been it. She swallowed her distaste for blood and kneeled before the slumped figure that was Ria. A shock of sympathy ran through Sumara's body. Also, she felt a sick sense of selfish relief. She was quite grateful that she had never gotten this bad in her life. She mentally slapped herself and focused again. She reached out a careful hand and placed it on the girl's head. Nothing. She pulled her long legs to her in a sitting position and closed her eyes. Sumara would reach the girl in her sleep.

Ria's mind was quite different from any that Sumara had ever ventured within. She had been in hundreds of minds before, on purpose and inadvertently, but there was always a similarity. When Sumara landed, she found herself in square room with four walls of cement. A single window with bars covering its mouth was over ten feet above her head. A heavy metal door sat in the wall across from her. She suddenly remembered with a gasp. This was the cell where Ria had been imprisoned. Sumara turned slowly, making sure she got a look at every inch of the place. Then she spotted Ria. She was curled up in a ball right beside Sumara, quivering as gently as a falling leaf.

Sumara knelt beside the poor girl and placed a hand on her back. Ria flinched. "Shhhhh, it's okay. Ria, will you look at me?"

Ria was unresponsive. Sumara didn't bother with any formalities. She pulled the shaking girl into her lap and held her. As Sumara held Ria, she told her a story.

"When I was very young, I discovered a place hidden deep within the confines of my village. It was filled with ancient scrolls, long forgotten by everyone in my village. When the guards weren't watching over me, I would sneak away to this secret place and read. This is my favorite story."

_Long ago, when the world was first being settled by the our ancestors, there lived a young girl. She was mean yet kind spirited, harsh yet gentle at heart. She lived the life of a nomad, never staying in one place for long. It was the life of her family, and her family's family, and so on and so forth. These nomads had no name and they did not wish for one. All these people wished for was a land to call their own. _

_Many years passed, and this girl soon became old enough to be considered a woman. It was a secret from all outsiders, but this group of nomads possessed a special power. They could travel through time. So, on the day of this girl's ceremony announcing her womanhood, she was told the secret. It blew her away. She had had such a power her entire life and had never known. It both shocked and frightened her. _

_The girl began to have a meltdown, and the over emotional state that she was in caused time to fluctuate. All around her the world flew forward and backward in years, minutes, hours, days. She was the one controlling it all. Even the eldest of the elders wasshocked by such raw power. But this awe did not last. The girl had been consumed by her power, unable to control it. She lashed out on her family, and her family's family, and so on and so forth. By the time she had finally calmed herself enough, her entire way of life had been slaughtered by her hand. _

_The girl decided it would be best to run away, far away. So she pressed her hands to her heart and focused. _"Take me to a place where I can start over!" _she cried out. _"Revive these peoples' lives and make it as if I never existed!" _And so it was. The girl was never born into that time. Her friends did not notice that she was gone because they had never come to know her existence. Only one person knew the difference, but this person never said anything for fear of being dubbed a lunatic and cast out of the family. _

Ria lifted herself from Sumara's lap, her face stained from both blood and tears. "Is that the end?"

Sumara brushed a hand over Ria's hair as if she were the girl's doting mother. "Someone had destroyed the remainder of the scroll. I never got to find out how it ended."

"Do you think it's true?"

Sumara stared down at Ria, taken by surprise. The thought had never crossed her mind. She had believed the entire thing to be a story made up by an old woman who wished to entertain her grandchildren. Could it be possible that the story was true after all?

"Never mind that, it's time you went back."

Ria's face set into a hard mask. "I thought so."

"What are you running from?"

Ria was done being fussed over. She struggled to her feet and stood over Sumara. "Is that really any of your concern?" Ria asked, her words biting into Sumara.

_The only reason she's like this is because she's afraid,_ Sumara thought. She stood next to Ria. The girl was defiant as she stared down Sumara. "Come back with me, Ria. Be brave."

"Are you saying I'm a coward? I'm far braver than you. Look at the way you hide behind such formalities and kindness!"

"Look at the way you hide behind your bitterness!" Sumara yelled. "Forget it. You can stay here and wither away for all I care. I'm done caring about you. There's someone else who needs me." Sumara was just about to break out of Ria's dream when the girl spoke.

"You mean the red head, right? The emotionally unstable one? Mr. Eyeliner? Obviously the guy has some gender issues with the amount of make-up he wears! And then he's got that rage! What if he hurts you? What would you say? That it's all okay because he's unstable? If you ask me, he should be locked up just like me-in the loony bin!"

Sumara froze. Ria had gone too far, but she was too blinded by her own pride to see it. The fire of anger still burned strong in her stomach. She could have said more, but she was biting back the words, savoring the moment. Sumara turned around to look at Ria. _I feel so sorry for you, _she thought. _Ria, how do you say such harsh things and not care? _Sumara stared at Ria for a few moments. _I'm not going to say anything to her. That'll be the best response I can possibly give. _So she left, and Ria stood staring after her, fresh tears streaming down her face.

When Sumara emerged from her slumber, she glanced over at Ria. Tears streamed down her face. Sumara shook her head. There was no way for her to help Ria. She pushed open the door and lifted her face to the three ninja waiting outside the door, some more patient than others.

"Well?" Naruto demanded.

"She's not worth it," Sumara answered with a straight face. Gaara barely contained his gasp. Neji felt a rage filling his stomach, a feeling he could not explain. Sumara's eyes fell on Neji. "Oh, I see. Neji's got a crush."

The entire room seemed to still. Every molecule felt as if it had been suspended in its movement. Neji's eyes were wide as he stared at Sumara. Naruto's mouth was wide open in an O-shape. Gaara stood by with growing annoyance.

"Don't look so surprised, Neji. I know you've had a sneaking suspicion for quite some time now." Sumara's voice was shrill and bitter.

"That is not true! And even if it was, it's none of your business," Neji growled, trying to remain calm.

"Oh, what is this I see? Well, you know that defensiveness is the first sign of a guilty party. I'm sure that Gaara knows that, too. Don't you?" She turned her gaze momentarily to Gaara before returning it to Neji. "See, he agrees with me!"

"Where do you find the gall to speak to someone who is practically a stranger to you in such a manner?"

"Oh, you'd be amazed at well I know you, the type of person you are. I could tell you all that you don't even know. Like the fact tha-"

"That is enough, Sumara!" Gaara yelled. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Where had this version of the girl he loved come from? He had never seen her like this before.

Sumara stared at him in surprise. "But Gaa-"

"I said enough! And I mean it! I hate to scold you like a child but it seems like its necessary. Neji's personal matters are none of your concern." He paused as he watched his love's face crumple in confusion.

"But, I don't understa…uhh…" Sumara's body slumped to the side. With blinding speed, Gaara was there to catch her.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, obviously perplexed by the turn of events. Though they didn't care to notice at the time, Gaara and Neji were surprised that Naruto had not interceded during Sumara's tirade. Naruto was surprised at himself as well, though did not think about it at that moment.

"I'm not sure," Gaara admitted, his voice coated with confusion. "I do know that she needs to see a specialist from her village, and right away. I'll be back when she's healed." With that, the Kazekage left the Jonin and Genin staring like fools after him.

Neji was adamant that Sumara was wrong. There was no way he had any sort of attraction towards Ria. No possible way. Neji was not a man of emotion, but of thought. How could what Sumara said be true? He hardly knew the murderous Ria. She was a killer. She was a monster. _A monster, a monster, a monster, a mon-_Neji stopped his thoughts in their tracks. He looked at Naruto who was staring at his hands. _That boy…no…that man holds a demon inside him. Why do I not call him a monster? Why do I not call him an evil being? He has caused destruction…but no…it was not him. It was the Fox, Kyuubi, that damn fox was the one who caused all of the destruction. Naruto is nothing more than a victim to the power. He is so innocent compared to the thing he carries within him. Then why…why do I not persecute him like I persecute Ria? I'm a hypocrite…a selfish, pathetic, hypocrite. _

Naruto glanced up at his brooding friend and asked once more. "What's going on?"

_And that,_ Neji thought, _proves my point exactly. _


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'm sorry that this took so long to publish! My computer got infected for a few weeks and then i was out of town. Well, i finally finished this chapter so please enjoy and review if you have anything to say! :)**

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Naruto

_Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. _

_Scratch scratch scratch scratch._

_Chink, chink, chink. _

_Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick to-_

"Are we just going to sit here or what?" Naruto demanded, impatience brimming over in his entire being.

He and Ruin sat in the waiting room of the Village Hidden in the Dreams Medical Clinic. It had only taken a few moments after Gaara's disappearance for Naruto to know exactly where he should be. Now, a week had passed since their arrival. Naruto was getting constant updates on everyone at home, including his daughter and Neji.

Ruin stiffened. Whenever Naruto got tense, it made her nervous. She knew it didn't make much sense, but that was who she was. Naruto glanced over at his girlfriend who was now picking at the skin around her nail beds.

His voice was soft. "Hey." He reached out and put her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I know how impatient I can get and that it worries you." He pressed her hands to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. "It'll be okay. Sumara will be fine, I promise."

"B-b-b-but how do you kn-know for sure?" Damn, she hated that stutter.

Naruto smiled his large smile and laughed a little. "I don't know for sure, but I do know that Sumara is a hell of a fighter and she won't go down without a good brawl."

Ruin nodded in agreement. They sat in silent for a few moments before she asked. "How's Neji doing?"

"Huh? Well, I don't really know. He won't talk to anyone."

"That's really weird, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, and he won't leave the mental hospital. He refuses to go. As long as Ria is there in any way, shape or form, he's staying." He paused. "Well, it's not exactly like Neji has ever been one to give up on a mission."

Ruin glanced away from him, her thoughts drawn to their child. She had left Luxe with a babysitter, also known as Sakura. Ruin wondered why her thoughts had suddenly been dragged to her daughter when she should be worried about Neji and Gaara and Sumara. She leaned her head against Naruto's shoulder and began to fall asleep, but she still couldn't get rid of the itching sensation that something big was about to happen.

Neji

Just as it had taken Naruto moments before knowing where he should go, the same thing had happened to Neji. His resolve had hardened into an unbreakable force. He would not leave Ria until she recovered. That was his vow. It occurred to him after a week of silence passed that he needed to do something. It was something important, that much he could recall. But what was this something? Who had told him to do it?

It was late one night. Neji sat on the other side of the separating sliding paper door. Ria had not moved since Sumara's visit. She still sat curled up in the corner of her room, and most likely, Neji realized, dying from lack of food and water. A worry sunk into Neji so deep that he felt as if he had been stabbed. This feeling caused him to remember the mission he had been given: retrieve Denieru. Neji stood suddenly, swaying slightly from the rush of blood. He needed to prove that the false truths he had told Lady Tsunade were actually true. He rushed to the main desk and asked for a guard on duty to watch over Ria. Once this was secured, he took off to find Denieru.

It wasn't that difficult to find a character like Denieru. All Neji had to do was listen for the loudest guy around and a bunch of giggling girls. Yeah, Neji had pegged poor Deni as that type: a man-whore. It made perfect sense to Neji. Denieru was a nice guy, but niceties only go so far. When he found Denieru, he sighed in disappointment. He had truly hoped he would be wrong.

"You ladies are…so perty," slurred the drunken Deni. To girls wearing what appeared to be napkins wrapped around both then chest and hips were pressed up to him. You could tell the way they clawed at his shirt that they wanted him. Neji was sickened by the sight. He stuck his hand out and grabbed Denieru by the collar, receiving a drunken "HEY!" in protest but no fighting. When Neji had gotten him to a nearby coffee shop, he finally set the intoxicated man down. "You made me spill my…beer!"

A waitress waltzed over, dressed far more tastefully than those other prostitutes, Neji noted. "Coffee, black," he ordered and the waitress left the two.

"What do you want?" Denieru demanded. He tried to grab Neji's hands. The Jonin jerked away and Deni nearly fell out of his chair. With the reflexes of a well-trained ninja, Neji caught him before he fell.

"Lady Hokage ordered me to retrieve you and bring you back to her." The waitress returned. She began to set the cup before Neji but he shook his head and flicked his fingers toward Deni, who was now drooling on the table. _Such shameful behavior, _Neji thought as the waitress made a disgusted face and retreated. He pushed the cup and saucer towards the drunken boy. "Drink by your own hand, or I'll pour this steaming hot liquid down your throat. Your choice."

Denieru's body jerked into a sitting position and he began to nurse the coffee down. He gagged. "What, no sugar?" Neji scoffed. Deni rolled his eyes, though the action was fairly obscured by his jet black hair.

"Sober up. You're going to see the Hokage today."

"Oh Neji! My old friend, pal, amigo, buddy! You've got to help me!" Denieru leaned forward as if he was about to tell Neji a secret then blurted, "I'm sick!"

_Yes, in the head,_ Neji thought. "Shut up and drink your coffee."

Deni ignored him. "My heart is dying, man! And _she _poisoned it!"

Neji decided it might be fun to play _Indulge the Drunk_. So he asked, "Who is she?"

Deni smacked his hand to his cheek, his coffee sloshing in the other. "Ria, of course! That bitch, that beautiful, charming, happy, funny, thoughtful, sarcastic, love of my life! She killed my heart!" He burst into tears. "I loved her! We had sex-I mean made love-or whatever you want to call it-and it was the most beautiful experience of my life! She made me feel like a man! And then she gets drugged or some shit and leaves me here. I mean, she leaves _me_! No girl has ever left me before! I want her back!" He slammed his fist onto the tiny table, making it tip to the side. Neji caught it before its downfall. Obviously, Denieru was in a state that needed some serious attention. He slapped some coins on the table and dragged his companion, coffee cup and tears, out of the shop.

It took roughly fifteen minutes to get to the clinic, and by that time Denieru had omitted the talking and had simply opted into all out sobbing. _I can't believe I have been reduced to babysitting a drunk,_ Neji thought. He shoved the boy through the automatic doors, nodded to the receptionist in greeting, and made his way to Ria's room. Deni was barely walking now. It seemed as if his feet were melting into the ground and melding to the material. He just wouldn't budge. When Neji _finally_ got Denieru to Ria's room, the boy had gone into all-out hysterics. Neji sighed in annoyance, picked up the man turned child, and threw him into his ex-girlfriend's room. Neji slammed the door behind him. He took his time making his way to his half of the room so he could watch the scene unfold.

Denieru

He was about to yell back over his shoulder at Neji for being so rude and pushy to someone in so much pain when a terrible smell hit his nose. The smell of blood and human waste clogged the room with such fierceness that Deni was instantly sobered. He pressed his hand to his face and looked around for a few moments, trying to pinpoint the exact source of the monstrous odor. Then he found her, slumped in the corner. She looked dead. Her skin was pale, as thin and dry as parchment. He noted that she had cut her hair to chin length, and it sat there like a dead orange animal on her head. He took a few tentative steps forward. Could Ria be dead? He felt his heart seize with a sudden panic. That was when Deni bolted out the door.

Neji

Neji was surprised-to say the least-at Denieru's reaction towards Ria. He himself had not gone into that room since the day she had gone into a comatose-like state. He thought back to the day after that, when he had begged the doctors and nurses to give her a room to sleep in. He was in charge of keeping her alive. She deserved to be in a room where she could have an IV drip and a heart monitor. But the doctors and nurses did not think so. Though it was true that Ria was in an extreme shut-down, this was her own choice. They would not help someone who did not want to be helped. They said that there were other much more deserving people in need, like the survivors of the Night of Fire. Neji couldn't argue with that.

Neji was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door to Ria's room slam. He jerked his head up to see Denieru's shadow moving across the room. He seemed to be carrying a large tub. He left the room and a few moments later came back with what looked to be towels and maybe clothing, Neji wasn't sure. Then Deni leaned forward and began undressing Ria.

Denieru

Deni had known exactly what to do after he had gotten a good look around the room and a good look at Ria. With the fresh towels and clothes ready, as well as a tub filled with soapy water, he was prepared to take care of his Ria. No, he shook his head at that. She wasn't his. He only wished. With those thoughts left on the sidelines, Deni began to work. He peeled back Ria's blood caked shirt to reveal that she was not wearing anything underneath. Deni steeled himself at the site. The gashes creased ever inch of her skin and it made him ache so fiercely that he froze for a moment. Then it was back to business. He completed the task of removing her clothing and gently carried her over to the tub. He set her down carefully. Deni made sure that Ria would not slip down and drown, then left to retrieve a sponge, another smaller bucket of water and a mop. As Ria soaked in the tub, he mopped the floor and scrubbed off any of the excess smell that remained. When he was finished he grabbed a new sponge and a small bowl and got to cleaning Ria.

A deep sadness cut through Deni as he cleaned the comatose girl. Her body would be forever covered in scars from what she had done. He still thought she was beautiful. So beautiful, but she had claimed that she would never be with him again. She said that the old Ria was dead. He refused to believe that. After he finished, he put the psych ward uniform on her and towel dried her hair. He then retrieved a comb from the woman manning the front desk, who griped a bit about who would be using the comb but eventually conceded. After combing her hair, Deni rested the girl onto the mat on the ground and set her head on the soft pillow. He pulled the blanket up to her chin and sighed in relief. She almost looked normal.

Deni stood, feeling satisfied with his job. He was about leave when he caught himself. He turned his head slowly. Denieru was never known to be much of a sentimental man, at least no one but Ria had known him to be someone of strong feelings and uncontrollable urges. But at that moment, Deni needed to be the man Ria had loved. So he walked the short distance across the room and leaned down to press his lips against hers. It was a soft, tender kiss of good-bye. He moved a stray hair from her face and made his way to the door once more. He was about to leave when a noise caught his attention. It sounded like a choking bird, but no, how could he hear a bird in a room so secluded? He turned around and found Ria, eyes open, staring back at him. It had been her making the noise, and she had been saying, "Deni."


	13. Chapter 13

Ria

My head was my own prison. I was alone there, except for the my biting self-loathing. But I took my self-hate out on Sumara. She had looked down on me. She had seen me as weak, unstable. I would show her. I would not release myself. It was safer locked away. I didn't have to face Neji or Deni or anyone. But why did I feel so…I didn't know how to describe it. It was just…nothing. Just nothing. I wanted so badly to be alone and I was. So why was I not satisfied?

For hours on end I would replay my new found memories of my times with Denieru. I would force myself to watch each one day after day-though there was no construct of time in my frozen state. As long as I had the memories to beat myself with, all was okay. But then something changed. My body felt something, something old and familiar to my senses yet new to my mind. It was a kiss, pure and simple. I couldn't help my curiosity as to who had been the one to kiss me. And, I was pretty damned bored. Though I acted like I was dead, I wasn't. There was no eternal happiness or fire to keep me occupied. Only memories, and those barely affected me after reviewing them so many times. So when I awoke, I was shocked to find myself speaking a name I never thought would leave my lips again. "Deni."

Neji

Always alert, Neji noticed the instant that something had changed. He saw Denieru kiss Ria and forced himself into indifference. Ria was nothing but an assignment. He hated that he had to constantly remind himself of this fact. Then, Deni had stopped at the door as if he had heard something. That was when Neji saw Ria begin to sit up. Immediately, he tore back the sliding door that separated the room, nearly destroying the flimsy wood and paper. He stared with his wide, white eyes at Ria. Her orange hair was like a fire on her pillow. She caught his eye and immediately a devious smirk crossed her face. "Hello, Hatsuk-I mean, blind o-I mean, Neji."

Neji felt the inside of him shiver at her use of that dead boy's name. Hatsuki, one of the boy's she had been assigned to kill. She had said that Neji reminded her of him. It made him feel sick inside.

Ria

Of course, I had only been expecting to see Deni there. But then came blind one, and I just couldn't miss the opportunity to play with him. So I messed up his name a few times, enough to know that I bugged him. I knew how much being called Hatsuki bothered him, though the boy was only a made-up character in a little story I designed just for blind one. It brought me a sick satisfaction to know that he was squirming. I kept my eyes on him for a few moments before being tackled by Deni.

"Oh God, Ria! I was so worried! I'm so happy you're okay and back! I've missed you so-"

"Stop right there," I interrupted. "I'm not _her_. Do not make that mistake."

Pain flashed across Denieru's face. It was gone in a moment, though, replaced by his easy smile. "Of course, I only mean that I'm happy you're okay."

_You're the only one, pal._

Mr. White Eyes was all business. "We need to alert the nurses of your condition, as well as both the Hokage and Kazekage. And Naruto Uzumaki as well. Deni, would you please have a messenger hawk sent to both Naruto and Lord Kazekage. I'm sure they've been worried about Miss Mirror Hater." He shot her a daring glance.

_Oh, so now you want to play with the big dogs? Well come and get it._

Denieru glared at Neji for a moment, surprising me. Then, he squeezed my hand and left the room. I couldn't help but feel like my heart was beating far too slowly.

"So how's life been without me?" I asked suddenly. He looked at me with careful eyes for a moment before answering. "Peaceful, quiet. It was like you didn't exist."

_He's enjoying this._ "So how was Sumara after she visited my mind?"

He seemed to stiffen. "She had a bit of a breakdown, actually. Gaara thinks she caught a piece of madness from your mind."

I tried to jump to my feet but couldn't manage. I swayed and nearly toppled forward when he caught me in his arms. We paused like that for a moment. I turned my face to stare at him. He was staring back with those piercing white eyes. "Put me down," I grunted. Neji nodded slowly, as if only able to do one thing at a time. He set me back on the ground gently. He put his hands immediately behind his back and I saw a tinge of pink to his cheeks. Blind one seemed to be staring off into nothing, so I needed to bring him back. "Are you insinuating that I'm mentally unstable?"

He scoffed. "Did you really just ask me that?"

_Oh no, he did not just say that._ This time, when I tried to stand I was able to stay on my own two feet. "You've got some nerve, Blind One."

Our eyes were locked. He would not look away. "I could say the same to you." There was a coldness to his gaze that seemed to freeze my stomach. Yet I still wouldn't look away from him. "What's your problem?" I demanded.

Neji cocked an eyebrow. "I did not know I had a problem. I assumed you were the one with the problems because you were the one forced here, not me. You're the one who killed hundreds, not me. And, you're the one who put yourself in a comatose state _on purpose_."

I tried to keep the pain that his remarks caused from my face, but I knew by the recognition in his eyes that he saw it. I wanted to make him hurt. I wanted to rip open his chest and tear out his heart. So I did. "You have problems, too. You're always trying so hard to be superior to everyone else in the room. You always have to be in _control_. You can never be respected by your family because you are lesser than them. You are not of the Main House. How do I know this? Because no member of the Main House of the Hyugga Clan would have to try to desperately to get the least bit of recognition. That's why you try so hard to prove yourself, isn't it? That's why I made up Hatsuki just for you! I wanted to show you the damage you are causing yourself. You would rather prove yourself the strongest out of everyone than experience everything you can in life. You live a sad, controlled existence," I spat.

Neji stared at me for a few moments and I saw true emotion play over his face. Horror. Realization. Anger. Sadness. Pain. Oh so important is was, that pain. I wanted him to know it. How did I know so much about the Hyugga Clan? I wasn't really sure, truth be told. I just spoke without thinking. That's when I say the most biting things.

I noticed Neji's face set into a hard mask. "You will die sad and alone. And that man," Neji pointed to the door, which I knew meant Deni, "that poor man doesn't realize what a sadistic, egotistical _child_ he loves. I have no _doubt_ in my mind that you are nothing like the Ria from before. Because from the way he looks at _you_, I can see that he believes with his entire being that you are kind, thoughtful, funny, beautiful, and caring. And when I look at you, all I see is someone wearing the face of a girl long dead." He turned on his heel, and left me.

I was completely alone.

And I knew Neji enjoyed that fact.

Neji

Neji was walking about the streets, trying to clear his head. He had never been so overwhelmed by emotions before, and it startled him. In a weird way, what Ria had said sounded oddly like…advice. Which was odd, coming from her. Was he really causing damage to his life? He didn't think so, but of course he did not exactly have an objective point of view. He resolved to discuss the matter with Naruto upon the blond boy's return. Neji hoped that that would be soon.

Naruto

It didn't take long for the messenger hawk to reach the Village Hidden in the Dreams. And by the time Naruto had received the letter, Ria had been awake for less than eight hours.

Naruto took the note from the head nurse with a hesitant hand. "What is it?" Ruin asked him. He shook his head in confusion. Then he opened it and his eyes widened in surprise. "What?" Ruin leaned closer to read the letter. "Ria's what!" Naruto had some trouble processing the news as well. The letter read as follows:

_Naruto,_

_Ria has awoken, and by the time you receive this letter she'll have been awake for less than twelve hours. I am unsure as to how she awoke but I will soon know once I question Neji. Please give this letter to Lord Gaara. I must warn you, Ria must be dealt with and I wish for the Kazekage's council on the matter. _

_-Lady Tsunade_

"I'll go get Gaara." Naruto stood and glanced down at his girlfriend. "Will you be okay?" She nodded and gave him a weak smile, which Naruto knew meant he couldn't be gone long. Ruin was still having a tough time. He hurried down the hall and to Sumara's room. His knocks followed a specific pattern which Gaara had made up to signal who was at the door.

"Come in," came Gaara's soft replay.

When Naruto came in, he had to cover his nose to prevent himself from inhaling sand. It floated all around him, in every place that contained the least bit of air. Sumara lay on the bed, eyes open and locked with Gaara's. He held her hand tightly and she squeezed it so hard that Naruto noticed Gaara's fingers were extremely white.

"A letter from Lady Tsunade," Naruto said, handing Gaara the slip of paper.

Gaara's eyes lit up when he read the contents. He glanced down at Sumara. "It's about Ria." Sumara flinched. Gaara looked grim. "She's awake." Sumara's eyes widened in wordless surprise. A few moments passed, then Gaara said, "She says that she didn't expect Ria to ever wake up."

"How-"

"She's regaining some of her power, at least enough to tell me what she wants to say." Naruto nodded in understanding. About a year ago, Sumara had sacrificed herself to save several people from a demonic beast. The only way she could come back was to sacrifice her mind-reading powers and all that that entails, except for her Dream Walking. Now Sumara was regaining the powers that she had sacrificed.

Naruto turned his eyes to Sumara. "Why does she say that?"

A few moments passed. "The type of prison that Ria had built for herself was very strong, Sumara had trouble even getting into it. And when she did and had asked Ria to come back to reality, the girl lashed out. She said many cruel things to Sumara. So she left Ria alone, and that was when Sumara caught this sickness."

Naruto slammed his fist against the wall. "Why is that girl like that? Doesn't she realize we're just trying to help her?"

"Sumara thinks that is why Ria is the way that she is. There's only one person who could possibly help Ria, and all she does is push him away."

Naruto's head whipped in Sumara's direction. Her face seemed to be daring him to remember something, something that could make all the difference. "Who? Who's the one that can help her?"

A small smile lit Sumara's lips at Naruto's blatantly bad memory of important things. Sumara's smile made Gaara smile very slightly. He squeezed her hand. "It's between two men."

Naruto's curiosity won over his frustration. "Who are they?"

Gaara looked at Naruto, the slight amusement in the Kazekage's eyes reflected in those of his girlfriend's. "Sumara says that it isn't her place to say. She isn't even sure if she's right."

"That doesn't matter! If I know who then I can get them to try harder to help Ria!" Naruto wanted to make Ria better. He knew there was a kind person in her that she was hiding.

"Well, Sumara says one is Ria's ex-boyfriend. But there is something about him that's bothering her. From what she could get from Ria's mind, the girl doesn't want anything to do with her past. She knows she isn't the same as before. Denieru doesn't seem to realize that."

Naruto waited a moment. "And? Whose the next guy?"

A wicked light came into Gaara's eyes. He glanced down at Sumara for a moment, as if checking to see if she was sure. He turned to Naruto. "I'm sorry, my dear friend, but that is something that Sumara just won't let you know."

A soft knock at the door distracted Naruto from his oncoming explosion of annoyance. He turned to find Ruin there, her long and layered white hair framing her face in a way that made Naruto's heart melt. She had her hand to her mouth, as if in shock or embarrassment. Naruto saw something in her eyes, something that startled him.

"What is it?" he asked, voice urgent. She looked at him for a moment. "I just received a message," she responded.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into the room. "What did you see?"

Ruin shook her head. She looked so terrified and pained. Naruto felt his heart squeeze with worry and fear for his girlfriend. The messages were never easy to go through, but when it was something terrible they were even worse. "Ruina, tell me what you saw." There was no pleading in his voice.

"It-it's Neji."

"What about him?"

Tears overflowed Ruin's eyes. "Oh Naruto, I share your grief," Ruin exclaimed, her way of saying 'I'm so sorry.'

"What do you mean? Ruin tell me what you saw!" His eyes were wild and manic, and they frightened Ruin. She flinched away from his hands as they squeezed her shoulders. He noticed what he was doing and pulled her into his arms, caressing her hair. "I'm sorry, Ruin. I didn't mean to frighten you. Neji is my friend, my good friend. I need to know what happened, or is going to happen."

"N-n-n-Neji is d-d-d-dead."


	14. Chapter 14

Naruto

"What do you mean, 'Neji is dead?'" Naruto exclaimed.

Ruin just shook her head. She could say no more. She hated to be the deliverer of such terrible news.

Gaara stood. He went over to the two. "Naruto, let Sumara talk to Ruin." Naruto nodded his consent. He took Ruin's shaking form over to the now-empty chair beside Sumara. He placed set her there, and Ruin immediately grabbed at Sumara's hand. Then there was silence.

Ruin

Sumara pulled Ruin into a dream-like state. Ruin sat in the middle of a grand desert, with cascading sand dunes and a never ending horizon. She glanced up to see where Sumara was. The girl suddenly stepped out of a sand dune. A cool wind whipped past them, causing Ruin and Sumara's hair to wrap around their faces. They were completely alone.

"Ruin, will you show me how Neji dies?"

Ruin caught Sumara's use of the word 'dies.' "How did you know he isn't dead yet?"

Sumara shrugged. "Your messages pertain to future events, usually within a few days of you receiving the message the event actually occurs. I just assumed."

Ruin nodded. "Well, you a-a-a-assumed correct." She took a step towards Sumara and placed her hand on the other girl's head. "I'll show you." The two girls were sucked into the message.

Neji stood in the middle of the Leaf Village, covered in injuries so severe that Ruin and Sumara were surprised to still see him standing. A gash from his cheek to his collarbone still gushed the red liquid. His eyes were wide with fear, something unknown to him. Sumara and Ruin could feel every emotion he felt, feel the pain of the cuts and bruises and the headache pounding through his head.

A figure lashed out, so fast that all Neji was able to see was a blur.

"Why doesn't he use his Byakugan?" Sumara asked. Ruin shook her head. There could be no more talking between the two girls from that moment on. Sumara needed to watch the scene unfold.

"What do you want from me!" Neji yelled at the air. He felt frantic, unstable. The fear of death swelled within his chest, making it difficult to breath.

"Let…her…go…" a gravelly voice breathed. A blur lashed out at Neji. He wailed in pain. His vision began to become dim, blurry. He knew he didn't have much longer. But he couldn't stop fighting

He spit out a glob of blood and mucus. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"LIAR!" the voice shrieked. Another blur. More blood. "The Time Weaver, set her free. I want the Time Weaver!"

Neji felt his body freeze. _Oh no, it couldn't possibly be,_ he thought. "I haven't done anything to her. She can leave whenever she wants!"

"How dare you talk to me like I am an imbecile!" More pain. More blood. A sick laugh erupted from the stillness surrounding Neji. "You are truly a stupid child. I pity you, and that is why I shall end this quickly." A flash of light exploded in Neji's eyes as the blur made it's final attack. Neji fell to his knees as he fought for consciousness. But he couldn't manage it. He sent out a final thought to the infinite world around him. Then he died.

The two girls slammed back into their bodies in the desert. Sumara fell onto her back. She panted with exhaustion. She stared at Ruin with wide eyes. The feelings from Neji were still so strong within her own body that it shocked her. The intensity of the vision had been so great. How did Ruin handle it?

Ruin was shaking like a leaf. Her fingers brushed all over the scars on her arms. She needed to calm herself. The rough edges of the healed wounds kept her thoughts on what was good in her life. Luxe. Naruto. Everything that happened because of Naruto. This stopped herself from hyperventilating, though the shaking did not cease. Sumara stood and placed a reassuring hand on her friend.

"I understand now what you go through. And I'm so sorry that it had to be you." Sumara pulled the quivering girl into her arms. Ruin began to sob, the tears rolling down her face in the pre-made tracks from so many years of crying. Sumara pulled the two out of the dream-state and back to reality.

When Ruin opened her eyes, she found that Sumara had been hugging her both in the dream-state and in real life. This made her smile through her tears. Naruto had come very close to Ruin, his hand just barely hesitating over her shoulder. When Sumara pulled back from their embrace, Ruin immediately snatched Naruto's hand from the air and pressed it to her lips. It felt so good to have him there with her. She wouldn't be able to handle any of her life without him.

Sumara turned to Gaara. Their eyes locked in a look that only lovers knew. A grimace took over his face. "Sumara says we need to go to the Leaf Village. Now."

Ria

Several hours passed before I heard the door slam on the other side of the separating wall. I had said some really hurtful things to Neji. I wasn't sure if I regretted them or not. I replayed them several times in my head while he had been gone. I realized a few things about it. I sounded like…I sounded like I cared. The words that I had spoken to him were more from my heart than any I had ever spoken since I had lost my memory. Something about that scared me. What was it? Why did I care about him? Did I care? I wasn't sure. His face flashed through my mind, the face that had never known true emotion. It marred his features in such a way that made my heart squeeze with regret. Why had I wanted so badly to hurt him? I just…didn't understand. Everything was so confusing. What was I supposed to do? I felt the need to apologize to him, to explain myself. Would my ego allow me to do that? A knock on the dividing wall pulled me out of my reverie. I stared at it for a moment and fought myself to answer the knock. Silence turned out to be all the answer he needed. Neji pulled back the wall, stepped into my room, and slammed it behind him. He took a seat beside me and waited.

I stared at him straight in his white eyes. "I…" I couldn't manage anything more than that. We sat there in silence for a few more moments. He was waiting for something. What was it?

"You should get ready," he said with a soft sadness to his voice. "You have therapy in five minutes." And with that, he left the room.

I felt a coldness settle around me. I needed to get over my ego. How? I couldn't change myself just because I wanted to. I needed some way to change. But why did I have to change? Why was this coming on so suddenly? Just a few hours ago I had been completely okay with being a bitch to Deni. But…that was necessary. He needed to realize that I wasn't the same girl as before, at least not totally the same. I didn't love him. That was for sure. But when I looked at him, I felt the sadness of loss. He had been amazing to the old Ria, but new Ria didn't need him anymore. Deni needed to realize that. I didn't need him to get me through the night, to hold me when I was upset. That wasn't his job anymore. I was strong. I could control myself. But it made me wonder: would I ever need someone like that in my life again? Would new Ria find a love like the one old Ria had? I could only wish.

When we left, Neji stood behind me at a bit of a distance as my chaperone. It made me uncomfortable. I would have preferred it if he was not there at all. But my preferences were not something the staff of this clinic were worried about. When we reached the door to my therapist, I paused. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"This isn't my therapist from before," I pointed out. He nodded then pushed open the door. _So the silent treatment, eh? Two can play at that game._ When I walked into the room I saw a round headed Caucasian man with a crescent of white hair and a goatee. He sat in a chair facing the door. He motioned for me to come in. I did so and Neji was about to close the door when the therapist spoke. "No, you stay." Neji's face was a mask as he came into the room. The therapist motioned for me to sit. He snapped his fingers and a copy of the chair I sat in appeared next to me. I tried not to flinch. "Sorry if I startled you." The therapist's voice was gravelly and soothing in a way that he would have made him great for advertising things.

I shook my head. "I don't understand. Why did you become my therapist? And why is Blind One still here?"

A knowing smile caused my new therapist's wrinkles to cave in. "Nice to meet you too. My name is Dr. Bell. And you are…?"

I paused for a moment. I wondered why this Dr. Bell hadn't answered my questions. "My name is Ria." Dr. Bell turned his gaze onto Neji. "I'm Neji Hyugga."

Dr. Bell's eyebrow shot up. "I can hear the pride in your voice when you say your name." Neji's facial expression didn't give anything away to what he was feeling.

My face took the shape of surprise. This guy was perceptive. What else could he get simply by hearing Neji's voice and seeing the Neji's body language. I couldn't help but admit to myself that I was curious. But then again, curiosity killed the cat. I didn't want to be that cat.

"So how long is this going to be?" I asked, getting right down to business.

"Exactly an hour. No more, no less. There are many other people who need my help."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't need your help, Dr. Ding-a-Ling."

The old man leaned forward a bit, his balding head shining from the sunlight leaking from the open window. It was glaringly obvious this guy wasn't going to take my crap, but I wanted to see how much he'd take. Neji was silent.

"Ria, I understand you killed 684 people a few weeks ago." He said it in such a calm, cool manner that I found it hard to keep my composure.

"I didn't do it because I wanted to," I retorted. Dr. Bell nodded his head slowly and leaned back.

"So you're saying you did it because you…felt like it?"

I flew off of my chair and grabbed at the old man's collar. But what I had in my hands was a crumpled towel. Dr. Bell stood behind the chair with a calm expression on his face. I glanced back at Neji to see his reaction but his face was impassive. This annoyed me to no end, so I thought I'd let him now.

"Do you always have to act like you're carved from stone?" I demanded. Neji blinked at me then stood. His voice was ice when he spoke. "Do you always have to express every thought that pops into your head?"

"Why are you such a robot?" I got up right in his face. Our noses were almost touching.

"Why are you so focused on yourself?" His eyes were daring me to keep it up.

"Why are you so afraid of showing emotion?" He showed no reaction.

"Why are you hiding behind all these snide comments?" We were so close now that I could feel his breath on my face.

"Why do you care?" We both asked each other the same question at the same time. I heard my breath catch. Neji's eyes were alight with something unfamiliar.

"Now _that_ is exactly why both of you are here today." Dr. Bell sat back down in his armchair. "It's obvious that your issues are connected to each other."

"Whoa! This is not some relationship counseling! This is mandatory for me, not for him!" I exclaimed.

"The Leaf Village allows me to choose my patients, and both of you are two people I choose as my patients. Now sit down and let's get started."


	15. Chapter 15

Ria

I didn't know what Dr. Bell expected from either Neji or me. I wasn't going to say anything to the crusty old bastard, and I sure knew that Neji wouldn't say anything either. We were both the type of people who wouldn't say anything unless provoked. Well, that was more me than Neji. Neji just didn't say much at all.

"So, tell me about your childhood, Ria," Dr. Bell said as an opener.

I clenched my jaw as the rage boiled in my stomach. "I don't remember my childhood."

A cold smile crossed the doctor's face. "Of course. And what about you, Neji?"

Neji stared at him stiffly. "I don't talk about my childhood to anyone."

I turned to him. "Why not?" _Damn my incessant curiosity! _

He remained silent. I glanced at the doctor guy to see his reaction. Dr. Bell seemed interested. "Why don't you answer her?"

Neji glared at Dr. Bell. God, for a Jonin he could act like such a child. "She doesn't deserve it." I could see that he wanted to leave, but Neji was no quitter. Plus, he had been told by a superior that he was supposed to stay, so he did. I watched Neji as he fought for control. I still really wanted to know the truth, but he was right. I didn't deserve to know his truth.

Dr. Bell nodded as if he understood. The _click-click_ of his pen alerted me to the fact that he was taking notes. I rolled my eyes. His pen continued to move across the page. _When will this hell end?_

Dr. Bell stopped writing and glanced at the two of us. "Well, we can either talk about each other or we can be silent for the remainder of the session."

"And might I ask how long is the session?" I asked.

The old man smirked at me. "An hour. You have forty-five minutes remaining."

I glanced at Neji to see what he was going to do. Yeah, I was one of those kids in class who checked what my classmates were doing before I did what I wanted. I had to make sure no one would tell on me. From Neji's facial expression, I could tell he was prepared to remain silent. He had trained for most of his life to be silent and watchful. Me…not so much. So I tried as hard as possible to follow his example. For the remainder of the time, I twitched and tapped my foot, but never did I make a sound.

Finally, when Dr. Bell began to say that the session was over, I bolted out the door.

Neji called after me. "Ria!" It wasn't like I could out run him. I made it to the end of the hall before I stopped. I slumped onto the ground and placed my head in my hands. I heard a soft lump as Neji came to a stop in front of me. The rattle of something inside a plastic container caused me to lift my head. "Medication," he explained. "Take one every two hours."

I stared at the bottle with disgust. "What's it for?"

"It doesn't say." I looked up at him for a moment. Something in his face told me that he had to take some medication as well, and that he wasn't too pleased about it.

I grabbed for the bottle and took a pill with no water. Instantly I felt this jarring effect on my body. Every emotion that I felt was set on edge. I stared at Neji. "You have pills too. Take one."

He glared at me for a moment, not liking that I had ordered him. He took a pill the same way as me. Neji's eyes grew wide in shock. "I don't…understand."

What I saw before my eyes was the saddest, most vulnerable person I had ever seen. There was also kindness in his eyes, and a fiery passion for everything he did. I felt this terrible compulsion to stand up and place my hand on his cheek and take away the pain in his eyes. I felt so sorry and sad for him. I felt the tears prickle my eyes before they overflowed.

Neji

The effect of the medication had startled Neji to such a point that he had stopped breathing for a moment. He stared at Ria as she watched him. Oh, he had never seen such a beautiful creature in all his life. He never wanted to tame her and hold her back. Her fire red hair lay curly and crazy around her face, like a halo of heat. Her deep green eyes were filled with something unknown…they seemed so lost and confused yet focused on every little detail. He felt her passion for her beliefs and how she felt overflow through her posture. He wanted to sit beside her, cup her face in his hands, and kiss her until she never ever felt sad.

Tears began to stream down her face and Neji could barely contain his urge to lean down and hold her close until the pain went away. That was when he noticed the tears on his face, and pain in his heart.

Ria

I couldn't stand the overwhelming shame of Neji seeing me cry. I tried to bolt but he reached out and slammed me to his chest. I felt the rattling of tears throughout his body. "Don't you dare run away," he breathed in my ear. "Don't you dare run away anymore."

That was when I let go. I wrapped my arms around his strong chest and cried like I had only water in my body and I had to drain it all to live. He caressed my hair as he too let silent tears fall. It was such a release, to share that sadness with him. But I needed an explanation of what was going on. What were we doing? I started talking before I knew what was happening. "Neji, I'm so sorry for being so cruel to you. I'm so sorry for ruining your job and injuring you and killing _so many people_. I can hear the echoes of the screaming in my ears every moment I am awake. I can't get rid of their voices and I just want it all to STOP! But it won't, so I can't. I don't deserve to forget their voices because I am the one who took them away from where they belong. I'm so sorry for being cold and heartless and pretending not to care. I'm so sorry for being so cruel to you when you don't deserve any of it. You're just doing your job. I'm so sorry that I lost all my memories and I'm so sorry that I can't stop remembering. I'm so sorry for not loving Deni anymore yet wanting to love him at the same time. I'm so sorry for the pain I put him through. I'm sorry for breaking everything and being so breakable. I'm so, so, sorry…I…I…" I broke down into sobs. I couldn't go on. I tried to push away from him. My humiliation for what I had just revealed was so overwhelming I just wanted to get away.

"I told you not to run anymore. You don't have to because…" he took a deep breath, "because I forgive you. For all of what you did. You didn't mean to kill those people. You didn't mean to forget all your memories. You didn't mean to stop loving Deni, and you didn't mean to cause him pain. I understand that you are cruel to keep people away from you. You think that makes them safe. _It doesn't._ Don't be sorry for what you said to me. You were right. I don't care about anything but my training and proving myself worthy of the name Hyuuga. And I'm sorry, for what I said to you. I was just angry and…scared. I was scared of what was happening to me, of what you were teaching me. I didn't want to believe what I was feeling."

I knew the laugh was inappropriate, but the medication made all my emotions come forward into existence. "You're so in touch with your feelings for a guy."

His deep chuckle rumbled through his body. I enjoyed the feeling of it as it rolled over my ear pressed to his chest. "Do you want to know what the medication was?"

"What?"

"Sugar pills and only that. They are designed to give the receiver of the medication whatever affect they expected. I expected something like this, and so did you."

"How do you know?"

"I was trained to recognize anything that was put in my body, food, drug or other."

"So that bastard pulled one over on us?"

"Yeah, he did."

I couldn't help the smile that came onto my face. I could not feel anything but gratitude towards that Dr. Bell character. As the 'effects' of the 'medication' began to wind down, I pulled away from Neji awkwardly. "I should probably go." I picked up my feet and ran away from him. He didn't try to stop me.

Neji

_Get a hold of yourself, Neji. A few hours ago you hated her. No, that's not true. You didn't like how she made you feel. But what is it that she makes me feel? I don't know._ When Ria pulled away from Neji, a piercing pain ripped through his chest. He had never felt an emotion so severe in his life.

She turned away from him, shame and embarrassment creasing her beautiful face. "I should probably go." Ria wouldn't look at him. That was a good thing, because if she had she would have seen the pure heartache on Neji's face. He never wanted her to go away from him because she made him _feel_ like never before. She was the one thing that made him focus on things in life that mattered outside of his duty and training. But when she started to run away, he didn't stop her. How could he? Neji knew that Ria would never truly be able to understand the way he felt for her. What were his feelings for her? How could he possibly explain them to her, let alone himself. Oh how he wanted her always there beside him, to guide him through what he saw as turmoil and she saw as a breeze. Neji wanted to feel her lips on his. He ached for that in such a way that he couldn't describe. _Oh, Ria. I could never make you love me, could I?_ That's when he knew. The feeling was something completely and utterly new to Neji. It was an emotion, a feeling, that had never before manifested inside his heart. _Is this what I am feeling? Am I in love with Ria? _Neji couldn't deny it. He'd been in love with her since the day she told him that story about Hatsuki. The frustration and the amount of time he spent on her were clear examples of how he felt. _How can I tell her?_

Ria

I had spent the remainder of the day walking outside in the grounds gardens sorting through what had happened. I had resolved to avoid Neji as much as possible. I didn't want a repeat of what had happened. _Oh, Ria, but you do. You want him to hold you, Ria. Why do you deny it?_ I knew the truth, but wouldn't listen to it. I was safer that way.

When I made it back to my room by curfew, I saw that Neji wasn't in his room. I went into my room and crawled onto the floor, ready to sleep.

"Ria." I opened my eyes. A candle cast Neji's shadow which looked at me from the other side of the dividing wall. "Can I come in?"

_I'd rather you wouldn't._ "Sure," I said instead.

He came through and sad down beside me. "I have no other way to express this, so please do forgive me if what I'm about to do insults you."

He cupped my face in his hands. I heard my breath hitch. He did too and I saw his eyes widen. He was on his knees, like me, and I knew that you could see our shadows on the door of my room. Neji must not have thought of that. He thinks of everything though. Why didn't he think of the shadows?

"Tell me if I should stop," he whispered, the fear apparent in his shaking voice. He brushed my lips carefully with his and I gasped. He did it once more and it was driving me crazy. The tingling throughout my body at the slightest intimate touch from Neji made me feel so overwhelmed. I felt like the only way I would gain control was if he would just kiss me. I parted my lips in anticipation. That was when he kissed me for real and my breath returned to me. It was as if the only way I could breath was if Neji's lips were on me in some way. The kiss was soft and sweet but gradually it became heated and raw. His long hair fell in a curtain around us, as it wasn't tied back at that moment. I wrapped my fingers in his black hair and felt so close to him. I went from kneeling to simply wresting on my shins. I pressed my hands against his chest as if I wanted to push him away, but really I wanted Neji as close to me as possible. I arched my back and he trailed kisses from down my neck to where my collar cut him off. It was a high collar, no access to where I wanted his lips to be. I looked down at him. He moved into a sitting positing, his legs splayed out in front of him. There was a fire in Neji's eyes, a fire that dared me to do what I wanted with him. I scooted forward and straddled him. I took both his scarred hands in mine and placed them on the edges of my collar. This time, I dared him with my eyes. He pulled. My shirt ripped open, revealing a plain bra beneath. Neji's eyes drank me in, as if I was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen in his entire life. He ran the back of his hand down my cheek. He moved hands to my back and brought my cleavage to his mouth. I moaned with a satisfaction I had never known. I wanted more of him on me. Neji pulled away and looked me straight in the eyes, his hands now on my face.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?" he asked seriously. I did understand, but I didn't want it to be true. I didn't deserve it. I nodded though and a traitorous tear fell down my cheek. "I know why you're sad. You don't think you deserve this, I don't either." He smiled at me, it was a weak smile. "But I don't care what I think anymore. I'm tired of thinking and constantly worrying about what my orders are. This is what I want. Ria, I can't deny the tru-"

"I love you, too!" I cried. "I love you like no other. You protect me and guide me. Even though you only came here because of orders, I don't ever want you to leave me. I _need_ you with me, Neji. Never leave me."

His voice was raw with emotion when Neji asked, "Is that an order?"

I smiled. "Yes, Blind One, that's an order."

His lips returned to my mouth and I could taste my tears of happiness in the kiss. I rolled off of him and he wrapped his arms around me. "I will never leave you, Ria. And even if it seems like I'm gone, I'll always be there with you until I return. I love you, Ria. I never want to be away from where you are." We fell asleep like that, and it was the first peaceful sleep I had had since the first time I awoke in the Sand Village.

_I love you, Neji. _


	16. Chapter 16

Neji

Lady Tsunade was in a furious state. "I gave you specific orders not to get involved with the girl, only to observe her. You are a Jonin for Lord's sake! How could you just throw away all this training? You disobeyed the codes of conduct! She was your charge and you did what? You jeopardized your objectivity on the mission. I'm pulling you and assigning someone else!"

When Ria and Neji had woken up that morning, they found out that one of the nurses had alerted Lady Tsunade of what had occurred between the two. Ria had immediately been taken away and Neji was escorted to the Hokage's office.

"I am so shocked at you, Neji. You never seemed the type to do something like this."

Neji could do nothing more than stare at the ground in embarrassment. He felt terrible fore disobeying his orders, yes, but he did not regret when had happened with Ria the night before. He would never regret that. With that idea in mind, he lifted his eyes to face the Hokage head on. He was going to speak, wanted to speak, to say something in his defense. No words came to his lips. All he could see was Ria as she slept so peacefully curled up against him. Oh how he ached for that moment again, to never leave that moment.

Naruto suddenly burst through the doors, interrupting Neji's internal reverie. "Grandma Tsunade!" he exclaimed.

The woman rubbed her forehead in frustration. "This better be damn good, Naruto."

"Neji is in terrible danger! We need to get him under lockdown, now! He's going to die."

Neji shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm in perfect health, Naruto. Where's your proof?"

In came a huffing and puffing Ruin. "Naruto, you can't just leave me behind like that! I was never physically fit, but ever since I had that baby I can hardly run for a minute! You can be a real bu-oh hi, Lady Tsunade! Neji!" Ruin's face turned bright red, just like a tomatoe. She stalked forward and socked Naruto in the arm, which did more damage to her poor little fist than his shoulder. He took her fingers and kissed each one. "I'm sorry, love, I was worried about Neji. Forgive me?" he asked. Ruin's face grew even redder. She was just about to answer when Lady Tsunade couldn't handle the love fest any longer.

"Okay, you two! This is not exactly the most appropriate time to be interrupting me. Why don't you go outside and wait?"

Naruto looked between the Leaf Village's leader and Neji. He could feel the tension in the air. "What's going on?"

"Why don't you tell them, Neji?" Tsunade asked, an evil twinkle in her eye.

Neji took a deep breath. He was not ashamed of his feelings for Ria, but he was embarrassed for having to reveal them under such circumstances. How he wished that he could figure everything out with Ria like a normal couple would. _Couple? You think that she will actually be with you after what a failure you are at being a ninja?_ Neji looked at Naruto, who helped him learn the truth about life. Fate did not control his existence. Neji controlled his own life. Now was his time to show that he was prepared to let himself take the chance of letting everything go.

"I…" he began and his mouth snapped shut. He looked down at the ground and felt his cheeks heat in embarrassment. "I…I'm in love…with Ria. I'm in love with Ria."

The silence was overwhelming. Naruto stared at Neji, aghast. Ruin had no idea how to react. Tsunade looked almost as surprised as Naruto. Neji wouldn't look at the faces of the people around him. His face burned so badly that it felt as if he had been sitting in the sun for a week.

Naruto broke the silence. "Where is she?"

Neji jerked his head up to look at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"Where's Ria?" Naruto looked like he was shaking. He held his head low, concealing his face.

Ruin placed a hand over his balled up fist. "What's wrong, Naruto?"

"Did they take her away from you?"

Neji looked away from him, the sadness evident in his features. "Yes, they did."

Naruto lifted his head to reveal that his eyes had gone from piercing blue to a chilling red, and the marks on his cheeks had deepened. "They took her away from you?" He turned to the Hokage. "Where is she?" he demanded, voice shrill.

Tsunade was about to respond, but Ruin held up a hand. Tsunade was surprised by the gesture but did as it ordered her to do, which was to silence herself. Ruin turned Naruto's face to hers.

"Kyubbi, knock it off."

Naruto's eyes grew wide.

"Hey, stupid fox! Go back to your cage! No one wants you here."

_**Very well, Ruina. You saved my life, and so I will do as instructed. My life is always in your debt, Ruina. I will never forgive you that.**_ The fox's voice whispered through Ruin's head. She hated that damn fox. A moment later, Naruto slumped into Ruin's arms. Tears flooded his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Ruina. I just…I know so well how Neji must be feeling right now. To not know where his love is and to be forced away from her. It's just like when you die-" his voice caught on the word.

"Excuse us," Ruin said. She bowed to Lady Tsunade and Neji and half-carried, half-walked Naruto out of the room.

"What will happen to me?" Neji asked.

Lady Tsunade never stopped staring after Ruin and Naruto. Their feelings were so strong for each other, it had startled her. "I had thought that you had taken advantage of Ria, but to hear that you _love,_" she said the word with a slight distaste, "her is surprising to me. Personally, I always thought she was a bitch." Neji's fists curled in an involuntary reaction. Tsunade's eyes widened at him. "You have let your feelings for the girl jeopardize your judgment. You will be punished as I see fit. As of now, you are confined to your room. A guard will be posted on a twenty-four hour watch."

Neji had to ask. "Will I be able to see Ria?"

Lady Tsunade tore her gaze from the door to look at Neji. "No, you will never be able to see Ria again."

Ria

No one could hear my screams. At least, that's what I assumed because if anyone could hear me they would think I was being murdered or something of that sort. I slammed my fists against the walls, pounded my head too, but to no avail. I was in a cushioned room with no way of identifying where the exit was. Just to be cruel, whoever had locked me up here had the room designed to say exit over every piece of the box-like room. I slumped to the ground and willed myself not to cry. I had screwed everything up and now Neji was going to pay the price.

I nearly laughed out loud when I began to think about my present condition. Since when had I been so…what was it? Concerned with others? I was a long time ago, at least it felt like a long time ago. I pressed my face against the cushioned wall and could almost feel the warmness of Neji's chest on my cheek. Why? Why did I care about him? What was it that made me care about him? Was it the fact that he shared the same stubborn mind as me? Was it the fact that he was so powerful and wished so much to be the best at everything? Was it that he was so dedicated to everything he did that he even put up with me? Yes, that was probably it. I couldn't pin-point it exactly, I doubted that I ever would.

_No, I know what it is. It's because he doesn't care about what I've done. He's forgiven me for my sins, but first he punished me by being the one to show me such hate and disdain. He _forgave_ me. No one else has. Such a delicate, caring heart in such a hard, supposedly numb person. How I wish he could have fallen in love with someone else, someone more caring and worthy, not me. But I will never stop loving him. How can it be that I love him? I know. I would sacrifice anything, even my own heart, to keep him safe. That is how I know I love him, because I want to commit a selfless deed. Oh Neji, you'll be the death of me. I love you for that. _

Neji

Neji had never before known the feeling of complete heartache. Now, he wished that his heart would just vanish. He sat on the edge of his bed, back straight, hands gripping the sheets, eyes staring at a single spot on his door, not doing anything else. The extreme pain that swarmed his body was unlike any physical injury Neji had known. It was like he would never feel his heart beating against his chest. He felt as if there was no blood going to his brain. He was numb from the pain. He was so numb, in fact, that he didn't notice that Naruto Uzumaki had been sitting in his room for the past fifteen minutes.

Finally, Naruto had to do something. "Neji!" he yelled and smacked the heartbroken man across the face.

"Naruto…what are you doing?"

Naruto shook his head. "I could ask you the same thing. Don't you want to see Ria?" Neji nodded slowly. "Then you have to break out of here and find her!"

"And risk my life as a ninja? I could never do that." Neji felt so ashamed by his selfish answer.

Naruto felt just as ashamed. "Do you really love her?"

Neji looked at Naruto, eyes wide. "I…I…-"

"Do you have any idea the gravity of what you claim to feel for Ria?"

"I…um…I…" Neji just didn't' seem to be able to find his voice.

Naruto shook his head at Neji, disgusted. "I'm leaving. Come find me when you figure all of this out." Naruto moved to the window and looked at Neji one last time before leaping from the window to the ground below.

Several hours passed and still Neji could feel the burn of shame within. He shut his eyes to think. Could it be that there was something wrong with him? How could he doubt the fact that he cared for Ria? But, then again, how could he not doubt it? He had known the girl for a few weeks. They had hardly talked. Yet there was this undeniable attraction and pull that he felt with her. For some odd reason he knew that he would sacrifice his life for her. It felt as if he and Ria had started their relationship in reverse. For a moment, he thought he felt Ria's hand clasped in his. His eyes flew open. He thought he saw a wisp vanish through the door but shook it off. He was just disoriented.

Ria

"_Ria, how long are you going to wait here?"_

I jerked around, startled by the voice's sudden appearance. There stood a tall man roughly eight feet tall. His beard was long enough to spill onto the ground. With the young face, the beard didn't seem fitting. The only thing that hinted at his age were the long crows feet extending from his eyes.

I sprung to my feet. "What the hell!"

"_Very eloquent. I couldn't have said it better myself." _

"Get out of here, you creep!"

The tall man sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. _"Ah, youth! Filled with such spirit and energy_." He moved his index finger and I was slammed against the wall. A cry of pain was knocked from my body. _"Now, you insolent child, listen to what I am about to tell you. My name is Meseru."_

I stared at him with a blank expression. "And is that supposed to mean something to me?"

He slammed me against the ceiling with another twitch of his finger. I was pushing it, I knew that, but I just couldn't help myself. _"So bitter for such a young girl. Filled with such hate._" A terrible smile cracked his face. _"You're absolutely what I want_._"_ He flew towards me, his feet never touching the ground. _"Tell me, little girl, do you know anything about your past?"_

I tilted my head. I was going to regret this. "Why? Do I know you from somewhere? Oh right! You were in my class at the ninja academy. Mary, right?" Suddenly, my throat constricted.

"_I've come to give you a scroll from your ancestors. Take it and set the wheels in motion." _A translucent roll of paper dropped from Meseru's smooth hands and then he faded away.

I gasped for breath the moment he had vanished. I clutched at the wall beside me as I stared at the scroll on the ground. When I finally regained my composure, I crawled over to the scroll. I unrolled it in my hands, feeling its ancient texture rub against my fingers. I read it through once, twice, thrice. I couldn't believe what I was reading, but I could understand it. I was someone special, someone not meant to be. I had come from six hundred years in the past. I was a Time Weaver.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N- I have taken a really long time to update. I had kind of hit a wall...but now i think i got my groove back! The funny thing that keeps happening when i'm writing from Ria's POV is that i start to write in the 3rd person, which i NEVER DO! Quite odd...well, please enjoy!**

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Ria

"Shut up!" Sumara exclaimed.

I slapped my forehead. "You really just said that?"

She shook her head. "Sorry it was a blond moment. Anyway, go on."

Sumara sat on the opposite side of bullet proof and jutsu proof glass. A sticky phone hovered inches away from my ear. I didn't know who else had put their grimy face to that phone. I didn't want their face germs.

I had told her all about my visit from Meseru, or the Sequoia Beard guy as I had started to call him in my mind. "What does this mean?" I finally asked Sumara.

She twirled the phone cord around her fingers as she thought. "Well, you're the third child to be connected to this guy. First me, then Ruin, and now-"

"Wait, what about Ruin?"

Sumara sighed. "I thought you knew. She's _the_ Messenger of the Village Hidden in the Ruins."

I stared at her with a blank expression.

"I didn't expect that to mean anything to you," she said. "Ruin's village was founded by one of the three followers of Meseru. All of Meseru's followers, excluding those three, where killed off in a giant massacre. Meseru himself was killed during the massacre."

"So three men, three villages, right?"

Sumara's eyebrows pulled together in concentration. "No, I don't think so. There are two villages: the Village Hidden in the Dreams where I come from and the Village Hidden in the Ruins. There is no village that I can see you having a connection with."

I slammed my head on the sticky tabletop. "Well, the scroll did say something else, but I didn't understand what it meant…" My voice trailed off.

"Well?" Sumara demanded.

"I think I'm the girl from that legend. You know? The one you told me?"

There was silence. Sumara's phone slipped out of her hand. I could hear the clunk as it hit the tabletop on my side of the line. "Sumara? Sumara!"

She blinked and came back to life. "Sorry, I was just…shocked."

I said, "Me too." We were quiet for a few moments as we each digested the information. "Oh, I have something else to tell you!" Sumara blurted. "Ruin got a message involving Neji." I immediately felt my heart perk up at the sound of his name.

"I don't want to know," I said suddenly.

Sumara looked confused. "Why?"

"Because I'm just a nuisance to him. He'd be better off without me."

"You don't really mean that," Sumara said.

I nodded as I felt my heart gradually rip apart. "I do. If you don't have anything else to say, I have to leave now."

"But, Ria-" and that was the last I heard of Sumara's voice before hanging the receiver on the wall. I turned my back to her and walked away. I didn't look back.

With a touch of ice in my heart I returned to my padded cell. The scroll that Meseru had left me sat in the far corner opposite of my present location, taunting me. I had to learn more yet I knew there was something evil about Meseru. Maybe it was the fact that he nearly killed me. That was probably it. A heavy, foggy medicated sleep fell over me. The last thought that escaped my mind was my curiosity and worry over what might happen to Neji.

Neji

Neji had not left his room for two days. He would make it to the door, reach out his hand and almost slide it open. A moment later he would stop himself and fall to the ground, filled with even more confusion and self-loathing than before. How could he, Neji Hyūga, a Jonin, be so afraid of opening a damn door? Ria stood before him in his mind's eye as he would lie there on the ground.

Ria's arms were crossed and her short red hair was a giant poof around her pale face. She rolled her eyes at him. "I never thought you the type of person to wallow in pain. I mean…just because we only met a few weeks ago doesn't mean we can't feel this way! Neji, there is a connection here. You know it. I know it. Come on! If I'm admitting it, and you know how stubborn I am, it has to be true!"

Silent tears would roll down his cheeks as his mental Ria would continue to beg him to come and see her, come and talk to her. "Ria…I am a weak man overcome by feelings he has never known before. Please, forgive me."

Ria

When I overcame my drug-induced sleep, I had made up my mind. Neji wasn't coming to see me. No one was out there to help me. I was by myself. I reached for the scroll and squeezed. Meseru's voice wavered through the air.

"Are you going to help me, little Time Weaver?"

"What's in it for me?"

A rumbling laugh shook my padded room. "You will forget that this life ever happened, and everyone involved in this life will forget you."

_Sumara. Ruin. Naruto. Sakura. Neji…Neji…Neji… I will forget all of you. _"Okay, I'll help you with whatever you want." I closed my eyes and looked over my fondest memories. They all revolved around Neji. The first time I met Neji, his blind eyes narrowed with a sense of authority. The time he slapped me, demanding that I learn respect for him and others and demanding that I feel grief for what I had done. OUr first sarcastic filled conversation after Deni's visit and I told him a fictional story about someone I had 'killed;' the story had scared him so badly. The day when I woke up from my self-induced coma and we had ripped each other apart with our words. Then, later, we knew we were in love. I will never forget knowing that for sure. The look on his face when he admitted it to me. The way that he touched me so softly, so carefully. He knew I would break. I was a bitter person, but he was bitter too, and my want for him to be better, happier, made me be happier for him. We made each other better. We had balance. I love him. He would never know that for sure. There would always be doubts. _Neji, do you remember how we talked to each other? We were talking to ourselves, not at each other. Our hate for ourselves turned to hate for one another. But our love for each other turned our hate for ourselves into something so insignificant that it became something nonexistent. I love you, Neji. You made me realize that I am a bitter, hateful, sad person. But you also made me realize that I am that way because I am afraid of the world and I don't trust myself or others. _That was an amazing realization, like something out of a therapy session. I almost laughed at myself. _Neji, I never would have believed that one person could make me realize all this. But you did. You did. _


End file.
